Beautiful Lie
by Madam Sketch
Summary: Annabeth DiCario, daughter of the Irish Mob leader Christopher DiCario, is upset. When she meets Jonathan Crane, she feels a spark of excitement. He is after all the exact opposite of the kind of man her father tries to set her up with, and she has finally found a rebellious standing. Jonathan Crane /OC /Scarecrow
1. Daughter of a Mobster

"Annabeth Clarisse DiCario!" Her father's voice snapped Annabeth awake; startled she flailed on the bed in a mess of blankets before she fell onto the floor in an ungraceful heap. A loud laughed from her door frame caused her to groan and untangle herself, looking up to find her father standing there with a wide grin as she snarled, "what the hell?"

"Well you don't want to be late for your first day of college, do you?" he teased as a panicked expression befell her face. He left the room as his laughter continued, shutting the door behind him as she bolted around her room, and breathing out curses that would make a sailor proud.

Thirty minutes later she was dressed and ready to leave, only to look at her clock and see she had an hour before her first class. She hissed angrily and stomped out of her room, knowing she would find her father at the table, "DADDY!"

Christopher DiCario looked up from his paper, smiling, "morning _Banphrionsa. _Did you sleep well?" She smiled and sat down, her eyes holding a dangerous spark has she answered in a sweet tone, "oh, I was sleeping wonderful, until an _ollphéist fathach _broke into my room and almost gave me a heart attack!"

"_Ollphéist fathach_?!" Her father nearly choked on his coffee and set it down, trying to hold his laughter, "oh my!" Annabeth hear soft footsteps behind her and turned to see her mother, Maria DiCario, walking in the kitchen, "Annie, your father is not a giant monster."

"Giant monster?" Angelica, Annabeth's six year old sister padded into the kitchen, rubbing her eye sleepily, "where is a giant monster?"

"Don't worry _aingeal beag,_" Annabeth purred as she reached down and pulled her little sister up, "the monster is too busy attacking bacon and eggs to notice you." The six year old giggled and slid off Annabeth's lap as the older women stood, walking to the back door, "well I'm off!"

"Wait-" her mother cried whirling around, "what about breakfast? What about the first day of college picture? What about my good bye hug?" Annebeth rolled her eyes and hugged her mother, "I am twenty-one years old. I am too old for back to school pictures and I am grabbing breakfast on the go." She turned to walk out but her father cried, "Wait!"

"What?" she whined.

"What about your body guards? What about your escort? What about my hug?" He cried, rising as he reached for his cell phone, probably to call for her guards.

"I am just going to my first classes," Annabeth sighed as she walked to her father, sliding the phone across the table and out of his reach, "I don't need an army faction following me around- I will be fine. And as far as the hug goes-" She wrapped her arms around her father, burying her face into his chest.

Christopher DiCario was a tall man, standing at no less then 6'3" with 230 pounds that were mostly muscle. He, like his daughter, had raven black hair that was close cropped, and had a few grey streaks. He had forest green eyes and a strong chin; a gentle man but had a mean side if you threatened his family or friends.

"Hug!" Angelica cried, willing her sister to laugh and pick her up, "I will see you after school, _aingeal beag."_ Angelica DiCario was the opposite of her older sister; with bright red unmanageable curls she received from her mother, and her father's forest green eyes she was precious without a doubt.

"I will see you all later!" Annabeth called as she ran from the door, escaping before anyone could stop her.

**XXX**

"I hate people," Annabeth grumbled as she walked the too large campus; her hazel eyes scanning the buildings as she tried to locate the right one, "-HA!" She headed to her next class confidently, having finally found the correct building.

Twenty-one and a freshman in college just felt lazy to her, she didn't want to wait this long to continue her education. It wasn't really her fault, her damn over protective father only just agreed to allow her to leave the house and move into her own place- even though she had to wait a month after school because her father wanted to make sure she could handle the pressure.

Gotham is ruled by five major mobs.

Carmine Falcone runs the Italian mob, he is the Don for the largest mob system here.

My father, Christopher DiCario, runs the Irish mob; we are the next largest mob in Gotham. The Falcone and DiCario families go way back, and my father practically grew up with Carmine. That earns us a bit of relief, but we still have guns on us when they visit for Thanksgiving.

Tetchen Rosturr is the head of the Russian mob, with the next largest.

Gambol Nndekwei is the head for the Nigerian mob, and the least major is the Canadian mob family, with Francisco Bleist leading it.

It is typical for the families to stay close together, usually each living in the heart of their territory in a large estate with everyone from the grandparents to the grandkids. I didn't want that- I mean, I had full intentions of taking the family when my father passed but until then I am happy doing my own thing.

I sighed when I walked in to my first class, finding a couple students there. I looked to the head of the class to find another student by the professor's desk, shifting through the papers as he obviously looked for something. I pressed my lips into a thin line and walked to where I was sitting in the seat closest to the door; placing my back pack beside me in hope nobody would sit by me as I pulled out a book, hoping not to be seen.

**XXX**

'**What are you looking for?'** Scarecrow grumbled in the back of Jonathon Crane's mind, observing his other half's search of his desk.

'_The attendance sheet for this class-'_Jonathon answered back mentally, continuing his search. Needless to say, today was going to be a very hectic day; he had everything organized and ready, yet still somehow miss placed the first damn thing he was going to do.

'_Finally,'_ he sighed when he found it under the hand out form that told the students what they would need for their classes. He looked at his watch and saw he had thirty seconds until his students had better be in and sitting down. He looked up and smiled, about ten of his twenty-seven students were scattered here and there in the class. He did frown when the rest of the class filed in: loud and laughing like drunks as they started to find their seats, mostly in the back.

The bell rang and the noise level dimmed only slightly. His students started talking to one another:

"Where's the teach?"

"Late on the first day~"

"I am taking a nap, wake me when Professor what's-his-name gets here."

Jonathon cleared his throat and caught the attention of the class, "Good morning class, my name is Professor Crane, your teacher for Minor Psychology." He was greeted by dead silence and wide eyes, and he walked to his desk and pulled out the attendance sheet, "let's call role, hm?"

**XXX**

Annabeth couldn't help but raise an eye brow at the "Professor". He was young- far younger then che expected him to be. Honestly he was only most likely a year or two older than her.

Professor Jonathon Crane- a tall, thin man that had dark slicked back hair and icy blue eyes. He was cute in a nerd way, from the thin statue to the glasses.

"Annabeth DiCario?" He called my name for roll and I answered back, "here." His eyes snapped to me and nodded, "Jacob Dommin?" The roll continued as he gave us an introductory speech, and an introductory lesson. Honestly- I got bored after I finished it so I decided to doodle. Throughout the entire lesson, I couldn't help but feel that someone was watching me, but every time that I looked up I couldn't find anyone.

Maybe I am just being paranoid- I am the daughter of a mob boss after all.

**XXX**

Throughout the entire class period, Jonathon couldn't take his eyes off Annabeth DiCario. He knew that name; the DiCario family was one of the most feared in Gotham, right under the Falcone family. She must be related, but even that didn't make sense.

The mob family stayed together, in packs like wolves. She was out here, exposed and he was fairly sure that she had no body guards in this class. So why was she here? Maybe she wanted to get away; Jonathon sure wanted to get away from his grandmother- he couldn't imagine still living with her breathing down his back.

'**Good thing we killed the bitch.'**

'_Indeed.' _Crane replied, staring at her. She had stopped taking notes and working, instead she was drawing. She had pale skin, flawless and without blemish; she looked tall, maybe 5'7", no taller than 5'8". Her long black hair was pulled into a loose braid, falling down to her waist easily; and she wore little make up, only slight blush. She was in a soft, dark blue low cut shirt with long sleeves; with black jeans and silver high heels. She had a silver watch on her left hand, and a small, silver cross hung around her neck.

She was beautiful, so beautiful he didn't see how she could belong to a family that majored in assassins and gun transport. Her eyes rose slowly and he continued on his work to distract himself. He wanted to know more, and he would. He would even if it killed him.

**XXX**

**Author's Note:**

**Alright guys, thank you for coming back to check this story out if you did and if not, oh well. Anyways, if you couldn't tell this is the first chapter, and is set before the pro-log / intro that you read first. **

**Banphrionsa = Princess**

**Ollphéist Fathach = Giant Monster**

**Aingeal Beag = Little Angle**

**Anyways, I promise to update soon, but until then take care!  
**

**-Sketch1997**


	2. Olympian Café

**Author's Note:**

**Wow. I honestly wasn't expecting so many reviews and follows. So um, thanks- really, thank you so much. Also, I need to let you know there is a MAJOR time shift in this story. The story takes place in present day for our time, but like ten or something years before the first movie. So there will be references and songs and stuff from today. Just to let you know.**

**Anon: you are like my official spell checker. I love how you don't even get all pompous and bitchy about my mistakes but manage to make them into a joke. **

**23-17-46-11: Thank you for the review and comment. I also really like it in the stories when Crane and Scarecrow are separate, they make me laugh. As for Crane's obsession, it isn't really a too romantic obsession like I want it to be and it will be, it's more of just like a curios obsession. In this story, the mob families are just really exclusive and it isn't really common for them to go out and attend college like Annabeth is. And Crane to me is just one of those people who don't "love", he obsesses.**

**Lilies and Bobcats: Thanks!**

**EveryoneHasDarknessIEmbracedIt: Thanks, and I agree. There are few really good Crane/Oc stories.**

**DISCLAIMER- I, Sketch1997, do not and will most likely never, own anything of Batman but my OC's and my crazy and depressingly pathetic spin off. If any characters, events, or disasters that I create should resemble real life, it is purely coincidental.**

**XXX**

Annabeth growled in annoyance as she entered Professor Crane's class for the third time today. Honestly, she had no bloody clue what she wanted to do; the thought of being anything other than the next Don of the Irish mob had never, ever occurred to her. The spot was promised to her, being the oldest it was her birthright.

The only damn reason she came here was so she could just get away; she wasn't kidding earlier when she said she didn't need an army faction- that is usually what her father gave her as security. She was taking only three college courses: Psychology I, Art III, and Sociology I. Professor Crane taught two of her classes, while an older woman named Hamilton taught her art class.

She was earlier to the class, with seven of her ten minutes to get to class still on the clock; the fact that she knew where to go helped her a lot. Professor Crane looked up when she entered, "Miss DiCario."

"Professor Crane," she replied evenly as she sat in the same seat as this morning.

"If I may," he began non-chalontly as he leaned back against the front of his desk and crossed his arms, "DiCario is not a common name-"

"Yes," she cut him off, pulling out a folder and her cell phone, looking up and smiling, "I am a part of the DiCario family." He nodded, "But don't families as such as yours stay together?"

"Of course," I said nodding, "but it does get tiresome, having not another person to talk to other then the people you grew up around. I want a change of pace- so I decided to take a few classes here."

"Alright," he said with another nod, dropping the subject as he turned and sat at his computer. More students filed in and Annabeth couldn't help the small smile, somewhat pleased that even the young professor knew of her family.

XXX

'**That's neat.' **Scarecrow thought sarcastically, **'We have a mobster as a student; albeit an attractive one.'**

'_Shut up'_ Jonathon shook his head as he shuffled the papers on his desk absentmindedly, noticing he had only a few minutes left of class. He discreetly let his eyes flicker up to Miss DiCario; some of her hair had fallen loose and framed her heart shaped face. Her bottom lip was jutted out slightly as she drew a sketch of something; her eyes were narrowed as she concentrated, her eyes determined. Suddenly she looked to the window to her right, and then she looked back to the paper, back to the window, back to the paper.

This continued for a few minutes and then the bell rang; the students all practically ran out of the class, eager to escape. Miss DiCario was last, having to pack up; Jonathon caught a glimpse of what she was drawing, it appeared to be a bird of sorts and before he got the chance to ask she was out the door.

'_Damn.'_

'**Aww,' **Scarecrow mocked lightly, **'Did Johnny Boy's little crush escape?'**

'_WILL YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP?"_

XXX

"Annie!" Annabeth turned from atop the stairs, having just gotten home only to be stopped by her mother.

Maria DiCario was a beautiful women; long and straight as a whip red hair fell to her shoulders with hazel eyes and stood no taller than 5'4" with no more than 180 pounds on her bones. Annabeth was often called lucky by her other siblings; she had inherited the best of both her parents. She received her father's height and hair, and her mother's completion and eyes.

"How was your first day of college dearie?" Maria asked as her daughter sat in the garden, her Irish accent coming out strong. The garden was beautiful, flowers of every kind bloomed and Annabeth always loved the colors.

"Alright," she murmured, sipping lemonade, "I have the same teacher for Psychology and Sociology, he is really cute."

"Annie!"

"Mom," Annabeth laughed at her mother's scandalous expression, "he looks only a couple years older than me! He isn't like dad or Uncle Carmine's age!" Her mother shook her head and motioned a body guard to come forward, "I want you to find out every fact about Annabeth's teacher right now."

"Yes Mam," he allowed as he hurried away while Annabeth gave a disbelieving, "MOOMMMMMM!"

XXX

'**Well look at that!'** Scarecrow cackled in Jonathon's mind, observing the file on Annabeth DiCario, **'she isn't just any mobster! She is the mother fucking Irish mob Princess!'**

Jonathon stared slightly, shaking his head. He knew if she was a member of the family he wouldn't be able to torment her in class, but now that he knew she was the Don's oldest child and next in line, he would have to pass her without question.

"Dammit," Jonathon cursed out loud, "I love failing students."

XXX

"How was your day, Brat?" Christopher DiCario the III's voice dragged Annabeth's attention away from her youngest sister. Christopher DiCario the III was Annabeth's second brother, often referred to as Chris. He had their father's hair, but with the same unmanageable curls as Angelica; and the forest green eyes as their father. He was about eighteen, standing at six foot exactly he was probably 220, mostly muscle like their father.

"You can't call her a brat-"Aidan DiCario began but was cut off by one of his triplets, Arthur DiCario, "He can do anything he wants!"

"No-"Evelin DiCario, the third of the triplets cut off her brother.

The infamous eight year DiCario triplets; in order from oldest to youngest it was Arthur, Evelin and then Aidan. They all looked the same, bright red hair that was curly as Angelica's; and they all had their mother's hazel eyes.

"God you are all so annoying!" Shelby DiCario exclaimed, resting her head on the back of her chair. She was Annabeth's oldest sister, at age fifteen. She inherited her father's black hair but her mother's straight as a whip context, as well as her father's eyes.

Annabeth rolled her eyes as they bickered; this was a typical family dinner, except for the oldest son of Christian DiCario. Christian DiCario was a year younger than Annabeth- although most people thought they were twins. He had the same hair and eyes as her, but was all muscle and 6'5". Christian wasn't home; he left the family to join the Navy. That was the proudest and saddest moment of their parents life; they didn't want him gone, but at the same time was making them proud.

"Children!" silence fell the table and all eyes turned to Annabeth's right; Christopher DiCario the II, the Don of the Irish mob, held the table's attention.

"Now," her mother purred, "there is no need to fight. Chris, don't call your sister a brat; triplets, stop fighting. And Shelby, no cell phones at the table." A multitude of groans went up around the table, but no one dared argue with Maria DiCario.

"How was your day, _Banphrionsa?_" Their father asked Annabeth, smiling charmingly.

"Eh," she shrugged, "alright…"

"She has a crush on one of her teachers." Maria spoke up, not looking from her plate as her eldest daughter paled, "MOMMMMM!"

"OOOH," Chris smiled from behind his glass of milk, "Annie has a thing for older men…!" I glared at him and grabbed a bread stick, launching it across the table at him with a vicious glare, "Shut it you over grown six year old!"

"Annabeth Clarisse DiCario!" Her father exclaimed, dropping his fork with a clatter, "that is it! I am pulling you out of those classes and locking you in your room for the rest of forever!"

"What?!"

"I want to know everything about him!" He exclaimed, turning to the nearest body guard, "you! Find out every little thing on her teacher! I want his speeding tickets, his report cards, his past marriages! Everything!"

"Unbelievable!" Annabeth growled, standing and walking out of the room and out the front door after grabbing her coat and purse off the table by the door. The DiCario family as a whole was over-bearing, obsessive, and majorly bi-polar.

She shook her head as she walked down the side walk, following the familiar route to the Olympian Cafe. This wasn't the first time she needed to just get away- it was actually quite common for her to up and walk out whenever her family just became too much.

The first time she did it she was fourteen; her parents were bickering on what instrument they wanted Annabeth to play, the violin or the piano. She just up and stormed out then, walking far away until she happened to stumble upon the small cafe- her safe haven from her over bearing family.

The Olympian Cafe was- obviously- a small cafe fashioned and themed after the Olympians, namely the twelve major Greek gods. It was two stories: the cafe on the bottom and a small apartment above nestled in between an insurance agency and a small book store. She had fallen in love with it immediately.

The front of the shop was a dark blue, faintly glittery that resembled stars. The front entrance was glass double doors, right in the middle with a large glass window flanking both sides. It had cobble stone side walk in the front all the way to the front door, but when you went in it was dark wood. The inside was made up of soft colors: dark blue, light tan, pale gold and pale blues made up the couches, chairs, and booths.

Immediately walking in to your left you would find a dark blue couch, with two light tan chairs that were parallel in front of the window. To your left, you would see booths all the way down with pale gold wood and pale blue cushions. Beyond the couch and chairs to your right was the counter, long light gold wood with a few stools with pale blue cushioned stools went all the way to the end- so there were maybe five of them. They had a small display of cakes and had all the coffee and the drink machines up front, but the food was prepared in the back room that was cut off by a small black curtain.

There's a blue carpet under the couch and chairs, but other than that it was the wooden floors. Each booth had a small black curtain that was held back by a blue rope, that way whoever was sitting there could seclude them or have it open- it was entirely up to them. They had a large book case at the far end of the shop, filled with books about- you guessed it, Greek Mythology.

The place was owned by Mr. Sebastian Richmen, otherwise known as Papa Zeus. He is a kind man, with black hair and brown eyes he runs his small café with his wife, Mrs. Natalia Richmen. They had come to adore Annabeth, treating her like one of their own grandchildren.

Annabeth shook her head as she rounded the corner, the café coming in her view as she hurriedly crossed the street when she heard thunder rumble above. She strolled in the café easily, smiling as she laid eyes on Natalia, "Good evening, Mrs. Natalia."

"Άρτεμις!" Natalia cried, walking around the counter to hug the Annabeth, "my dear! How are you?"

"Alright," she answered with a small smile as she sat at the counter, taking the warm hot chocolate Natalia provided, "I started college today."

"Did you know?" Natalia laughed, "Good job child! How was it?"

"Eh," Annabeth shrugged, "alright. I'm not really going for anything, just looking for an excuse to escape the folks…" She trailed off when another rumble of thunder shook the sky, raising an eyebrow.

"You better watch out!" A deep voice boomed from the back of the shop, moments later Mr. Sebastian walked out as he smiled broadly, "lest I strike you down with a lightning bolt- you insufferable child!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Annabeth wailed dramatically as she threw her arms up with a fake pout, "I am no mere mortal! I am Artemis! Beware the Goddess of the Hunt! Sister of Apollo! Daughter of Zeus and Leto, Beware!" They all laughed and Annabeth shook her head.

"Oh child," Sebastian laughed, "it has been far too long since you stopped by. Now what is this I hear about college?"

**XXX**

'**I'm hungry.' **Scarecrow informed Jonathon, causing a sigh of irritation to come from the latter, _'You can't be hungry. You aren't real.'_

'**Johnny!' **Scarecrow gasped, **'how could you say such a hateful comment!' **

'_Easily...'_

**XXX**

"Child," Natalia sighed as she looked at Annabeth with large blue eyes, "Sebastian and I have to run to the store, would you mind watching the café for a little while?"

"Not at all miss," Annabeth replied immediately, hopping over the counter and smiling charmingly, "I know how to handle everything!"

"Oh you are an angel," Sebastian smiled and ruffled the top of her head, "We will be back!"

"Take your time!" Annabeth shouted after them as they left- happy to be all alone in her most favorite place in the world. She sighed as she rested her head on the counter; it was likely nobody was going to come in, it was almost eight and while the café was open twenty four hours, it didn't see an onslaught of customers all at once. The place was more of a steady, slow trickle.

XXX

'**How 'bout there?'** Scarecrow asked as he passed some popular chain restaurant.

'_No.'_

'**There?'**

'_NO.'_

'**Johnnnnyyyyyyyy, I am hungrrrryyyyyy-'**

'_I have papers to grade!'_

'**Then somewhere quiet? Oh, how bout there?'** Jonathon was about to snap, he couldn't take his alter much longer. He sighed and pulled over to a small café- he had been a couple times, a nice elderly couple ran it and it was almost always quiet.

He got out of the car, quick to grab his umbrella and brief case as he quickly and quietly calked into the Olympian Café, sighing as the warm air hit him. He looked over to the counter and had to do a double take, "Miss DiCario?"

"Professor Crane?" She looked shocked, standing behind the counter as she flipped through a random magazine, "Hi!"

"What are you doing here?" He asked, curious. He couldn't believe the thought of her family letting her work anywhere, college alone had to be pushing it.

"Ah," she laughed and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "Mr. and Mrs. Richmen had to run to the store, and they asked me to watch the shop."

"Oh," so she didn't work here- pity. He would have stopped by more, "So…"

"Uh," She flushed slightly as if embarrassed, "I'm sorry, would you like anything?"

"Tea," He responded after a moment, sitting on a stood, "Earl Grey, please." She nodded and turned, her eyes determined and her posture stiff as she began to prepare what she hoped to be her finest cup of Earl Grey tea yet.

Jonathon couldn't help himself, but he totally stared at her. She wasn't beautiful in a Barbie sense, but she wasn't exactly a plain Jane either. She had curves, not to exaggerate but a slight hour-glass figure. His eyes traveled down her body as she reached up to the top shelf to grab the tea, noticing she had changed the heels for a pair of black flats. Her hair was pulled back in the same braid and she wore the same outfit. This was ridiculous, she was just another pretty face- granted a powerful pretty face but nothing much all the less.

His eyes snapped over to the decorum when she turned around, not about to let her catch him staring at her, "Here you go, Professor."

He hesitantly took a sip of the tea, before nodding his approval and placing it down as his eyes flickered up to her face again, catching her hazel gaze as she looked away quickly. He smiled slightly before deciding to strike up conversation, "So Miss DiCario, why psychology?"

"Honestly?" She bit her lip as she busied herself placing the tea box back on the top shelf, allowing his eyes to once again roam her figure, "it looked easy."

"You don't want to make a career of it?"

"No," she laughed as she turned around, her eyes holding a steel like edge to them as she smiled slightly, "I have other plans for my future. But until they come into play, I need something to pass the time."

"And what exactly do you have planned for your future that is better than Psychology?" Jonathon was pushing his luck- it was really none of his business, 1.) She was the daughter of a very powerful mob boss and a part of a family that raised assassins and mercenaries, she could have him killed in the blink of an eye and not a soul would care and 2.) He already put two and two together and figured she was going to head the family; she was the oldest after all. But he couldn't help himself… although with the smile she was giving him he was starting to.

"Professor Crane," she laughed without humor and crossed her arms, "you are a smart man. You have to be, being a professor so young and what not, so you should already know. You know I am the oldest, after all it said so in my file- oh don't look so shocked. We both know I have connections and eyes everywhere, you didn't really think you could request my personal file from the college without me knowing, did you? I plan on heading my family. Your class is nothing but filler; I would never use your subject in the real world."

"Uh…" Jonathon didn't really know what to say- he knew she was confident, but he didn't expect her to be so direct, "I… I'm uh, sorry for getting your information behind your back…"

"Eh," she waved it away with a disinterested look, "Happens all the time. Don't worry about it, but if you ever try to go behind my back again, I will rip out your vocal cords and hand you from the ceiling with them."

"We're back!" Natalia walked in while her husband followed, carrying bags as the door swung shut behind them, "any business- oh Professor Crane! It's wonderful to see you again!"

"Oh Miss Natalia," Annabeth smiled as she passed a shocked Jonathon, "I have to go home now, Professor Crane has been the only customer. Bye now!"

"Good bye," Sebastian called after her as she walked out, "my dearest Άρτεμις!"

**XXX**

Annabeth smiled as she crawled into her bed that night, recalling her conversation with Crane in the diner. She shook her head softly as she turned off her light and curled up on her side, deciding she might like this college experience.

**XXX**

'**Marry her.'** Scarecrow was relaxing in the back of Jonathon's mind, thinking about the conversation with Miss DiCario. **'Seriously. I like her, and she is well connected. Marry her before her father marries her off to some other family.'**

'_Shut up.'_ Jonathon thought quietly, his mind drifting back to the smile she wore as she threated his life, acting like it was second nature to threaten to rip some one's vocal cords out. He smiled and shook his head, deciding it might be fun to play with Miss DiCario, as long as he played his cards right and didn't die.

**XXX**

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Alright guys. Sorry for the wait, I meant to get this chapter out like a few days ago but long story short I got sick and I became miserable and did nothing but sleep and eat pizza for my entire illness. **_

_**A few things: The Olympian Café is something I made up, so if there is such a thing out there it is completely coincidental and I am sorry that I suck at describing what it looks like. Also, I know my OC states she would never use the things from Psychology in real life but I feel different. I personally see that psychology plays a part in every second of the day. That was just Annabeth's opinion. And, I don't drink anything other than Lipton Sweet tea, and the only way I know Earl Grey if from watching "Black Butler". **_

_**So… yeah. I think that is about it for now…. I think. I don't know. My mom just surprised me and got me "Percy Jackson's Greek Gods", and I kinda want to finish it tonight. It's like awesome; I love the Percy Jackson books and am like so excited for the next book in October. Oh! Also, I want to see if anyone can figure out what "Άρτεμις" is. I mean, if nobody bothers to google it and tells me in the comments before my next chapter, oh well. I will let you know then, but if you do guess it correctly I will give you cookies and tea and cupcakes and a plush Jonathon Crane to snuggle with. **_

_**Alright, well, till next time.**_

_**-Sketch1997**_


	3. Living Above Olympus part 1

**Author's note:**

**Alright guys, here is another chapter for you all. I know that there isn't really any action and I am sorry, I promise it will pick up after we get all the scenes and people set up. **

**Thanks to Lunabloodmoon666, Rawr1023, the-mad-girl-with-a-book and TheRealTaylor13 for following my story.**

**Thanks to TheRealTaylor13 and the-mad-girl-with-a-book for favoring it.**

**And my guest reviewer and TheRealTaylor13 leaving reviews.**

**Also to my guest reviewer: no. But pretty damn close- you are on the right track with "Άρτεμις" being a name. Keep trying- I will wait a chapter or two more. **

**DISCLAIMER- I, Sketch1997, do not and will most likely never, own anything of Batman but my OC's and my crazy and depressingly pathetic spin off. If any characters, events, or disasters that I create should resemble real life, it is purely coincidental.**

**XXX**

Twas the weekend after the first day of college and all throughout the DiCario house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse-well except for the maids, butlers, and guards, as well as the DiCario family themselves, plus it was actually quite loud. Seriously, there were like twenty kids currently in the house while the one was in the military, that's not even counting the uncles, aunts, grandparents and parents that are moving through the house.

So it wasn't so quiet, not exactly; it was dead quiet in the dining room though. Christopher DiCario and his oldest child occupied the room; the former pretending to read a paper but was really glaring at his daughter and the latter sipping tea and looking through apartment listings.

"So Annie, darling," Christopher cleared his throat causing Annabeth to look up and raise an eye brow, "how goes the apartment hunting?"

"Eh," she shrugged and looked back down, tapping her pen against the paper, "alright. I just want to find something that meets all my requirements…"

"You know it has to be in our territory." He stated, causing her to look up and smile, "I'm not stupid daddy, I know it does."

"You can't have room mates."

"I know daddy."

"And it has to have security, and multiple escape routes if something bad happens."

"Daddy-"she whined, dropping her pen and leaning back in her seat, "I know-"

"And no boys." He cut her off, causing her to choke on some of her tea as he continued, "and no psychology professors."

"Dad!"

"What?" he shrugged and took a sip of his own tea, "I looked him up Annie. He doesn't look like your type. He is a country nerd, small and weak; he wouldn't be able to protect you. I think it would be best for you to look at your interests in the Bleist family. Like Callan or Ronald Bleist for instance."

Annabeth grimaced. The Bleist family, the Canadian mob, was not in her interests. Callan and Ronald Bleist, the oldest children of Francisco Bleist. Callan was nice, at least nice compared to his twin Ronald; he had brown hair cut in a buzz cut style and blue eyes. He was really, really buff- like wrestler buff. His brother was the same with blonde hair. Both stood maybe 6'4", with nothing but muscle and while they were handsome, they just weren't her type.

No, Annabeth preferred the silent type; she wasn't a very loud person, in fact she would be perfectly alright with being alone for days and only leaving the solitude for food. She preferred someone who didn't needed to be talked to 24/7, but someone who would be fine with just sitting next to her while reading a book and drinking tea. She had always had a thing for nerdy like guys- mainly to get her through geometry and chemistry in high school but still. She didn't want a huge guy who's arm was bigger than her torso.

"Dad," Annabeth sighed, "I just don't do roid raged hockey players with weird accents. I think my professor is cute, but he is my teacher and I am happy alone."

"Annie," he breathed in an exasperated sigh, "I need grand children before I die. And, think of the new possibilities a marriage with the Bleist family can open for us."

"Dad," she began, deadpanned, "they are the lowest family, and they are the Canadian mob. I don't think we can gain much."

"But-"

"I have to go," she sighed standing up as she gathered her papers and placed them in a folder in her laptop bag, "I promised Mrs. Richmen I would stop by and see her today." She was lying, the café had just opened, but this conversation would only get worse. She bid her good byes and hurried out of the house, enjoying the warm autumn air.

Her black hair was loose and straight, falling a little bit below her waist. She was wearing a soft, dark red dress. It had long sleeves and a low cut V-neck and flared a bit right below her knees. She wore brown flats and a brown leather jacket as well as her typical cross necklace and watch. Her hazel eyes lazily scanned the empty street as she crossed, her flats crushing old red and brown leaves that had fallen from the trees.

She entered the shop and was immediately greeted with a dog barking.

"Cerberus!" Annie exclaimed as she bent down and stroked the bull dogs head, "How is my favorite puppy?" Mrs. Natalia chuckled from her place behind the counter, "Yeah, Sebastian was fixing to take him to Hermes." Cerberus was a smart dog, and came to recognize the words vet and doctor, so now they just call it Hermes. Greek themed, remember?

"You didn't want to go with them?"

"Ah no," she laughed as I brought out my papers, "Someone has to work the shop. And we don't really trust those teenagers except for the 10 pm to 6 am shift."

"I'll watch the shop-"she smiled as she picked up the puppy, stroking his soft black fur as Mrs. Natalia's face brightened, "really?"

"Yeah," Annabeth shrugged and walked over to the counter, "why not? I mean, I have nothing better to do than look at apartment listings."

"Looking for an apartment?" she raised an eyebrow at the much younger girl and started to straighten the cupcake display.

"Yes." Annabeth sighed as she took her paper out on the table.

"Do you smoke?" Mrs. Natalia suddenly questioned.

"No mam."

"Have wild parties, are loud?"

"Not really."

"Any pets?"

"Actually," Annabeth smiled up at her, "I have several dogs at the family estate, but I wouldn't take them with me. I would have pets if the apartment allows me to get a cat."

"Why not live above Olympus?" She asked, causing Annabeth to look up shocked, "What?"

"Sure," Mrs. Natalia shrugged as she smiled at Annabeth while she continued, "yeah. I mean, we've known you for a while, and you're a good kid. It's two bedrooms, two bath; has a kitchen, living room and a small patio. I'd say it would be $350, with no down payment. If you want, you can work at the café."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" She laughed, her smile widening, "Sebastian and I will discuss it while we take Cerberus to the vet-" The dog yelped and jumped out of my arm, running behind the counter into the back room as Mrs. Natalia laughed, "silly Cerberus."

"Darling," Sebastian walked out of the back room as he held the small shaking black puppy, "you know we refer to _that _as Hermes."

"Sorry," Mrs. Natalia placed on her coat and smiled promisingly to Annabeth, "I'll talk to Sebastian about it. Thank you again, my dearest _Άρτεμις_." Annabeth nodded and picked up a random book out of the book case as she flipped through it.

Living above Olympus would be perfect. Great area, plus it was only like a ten minute walk from the college. Annabeth sighed as she rested her head on the counter- thinking of college made her think of professors, which in turn made her think of Crane.

She thrummed her fingers against the counter top as her mind moved full gear, _'Jonathon is a smart, fairly handsome young college professor. He is the complete opposite of what my father wants for me- not in criminal activities and not a huge WWE wrestler. He should be easy to manipulate- I've seen the way he looks at me. Maybe I can use him to my advantage…'_

**XXX**

'**We should check the café for peach.' **Scarecrow lounged in the back of Johnny's mind, bored from all the paperwork and homework he had to grade, **'just give all the kids F's or something. Except Peach. Get her an A… or a-'**

'_Don't you dare finish that sentence,' _Jonathon cut off his counterpart as he stood to get another glass of scotch. His apartment was dead silent except for his paper shuffling and Scarecrow's inner dialog.

'**You are no fun whatsoever,'** Scarecrow grumbled as Johnny shook his head. Sometimes all he needed was a little quiet.

**XXX**

"So I hear you are apartment hunting!" Sebastian exclaimed as he returned to the Café to find Annabeth serving two teenagers muffins and coffee. Annabeth smiled and nodded as she started to wipe off the counter, "Yeah-"

"Great!" He exclaimed as he clapped his hands together causing Annabeth and the customers to jump, "Come! We can look at the apartment right now!"

"But-"Annabeth looked at the customers as he pulled her into the back room, "the customers-"

"Ah," he shook his head as he led her up an old stair case, "No worries! My darling Natalia will watch them! Now come!"

**XXX**

Annabeth sighed as she collapsed on the couch in front of her mother, groaning as she chuckled into the casinos a bit.

"What happened?" Her mother questioned, sitting in a chair beside her, "you were gone all day."

"Yeah," she mumbled as she sat up, "I was at the café."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Annabeth looked away as she hesitated, "Mom?"

"Yes sweetheart?" Maria was slightly worried, the last time Annabeth had acted so evasively was when she asked to attend college.

"I found an apartment."

"…what?"

"Yeah," she looked up into Maria's wide hazel eyes, "I… the apartment is in our part of the city, it's a two bedroom so I have the master and the smaller can be my office and mom… I love it. No down payment, only $350.00 a month… It's perfect."

"Well… does it meet all your father's requirements?" Maria was hesitant.

"Yes mother."

"Then why not?" Maria forced a smiled, but it became not a problem to smile when she saw how Annabeth's face lit up.

"Mom-"she squealed, wrapping her mother in a tight hug, "thank you." She ran upstairs- no doubt to tell one of her siblings- leaving Maria to sit on the couch alone. The smile quickly turned into a frown as a cold feeling spread through her body.

Maria knew what she was getting into when she entered the DiCario family- she readily accepted the risks and dangers to be with Cristopher, but still. Her daughter- her Annie- was the light of her world. Annabeth was her first child, the first thing Maria could say she created that turned out good- almost too good.

Maria had found comfort while Annabeth was growing up- knowing that she was going to be able to keep her daughter within stone's throw until the day she died. But now, her baby wanted to get out. She saw the look in Annabeth's eyes- like a prisoner catching a ray of freedom, she desperately has been grasping for it, like she would die if it was to slip through her grasp.

Annabeth loved her family- Maria knew that- but she was an independent young woman. Maria knew why Annie wanted a chance of freedom. Christopher was getting old, almost ready to retire- which meant Annabeth would need to take charge of the family. After she did, that would be it- all life outside of the mob would be difficult to keep.

She needed a little bit of solitude, and Maria couldn't find it in herself to condemn her daughter's choices. Her only fear- what would Christopher say?

**XXX**

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Alright guys. That's it. I'm done for the night. I am sorry this chapter might be a little shorter then I intended, I really am, and I am also sorry for the lack of action and encounters between my OC and our lovable madman. **_

_**I just need to get Annabeth out, so that way we can get her more time with Crane/Scarecrow. Just give me a chapter more and he will be there a lot more. Anyways, thanks for reading- not much to tell yall.**_

_**Keep on a lookout for the next chapter, I will have it up in no later than a week. Till next time-**_

_**-Sketch1997**_


	4. Living Above Olympus part 2

**Thank you to Penpal678910, IKhandoZatman, Silver Katsuyami, Aki the Crane, Ninja Kitty 1o1, 0hakuna0, Dragonknight4000, and ladymoonscar for following my story.**

**Thank you to ladymoonscar, Ninja Kitty 101, creeds angel, mangadragon10122 for favoring my story.**

**And thank you to Aki the Crane and IKhandoZatman for reviewing. **

**Aki the Crane: I know this isn't the best Jonathon/OC fic- and I know it isn't that interesting. Don't apologize for pointing out mistakes I have made- I rely on my readers to catch the ones I have missed. Yes, I know how to spell Jonathon's name. It's just I am so tired that little slip ups like that get passed me. But seriously- if you see something wrong, tell me. Because I am far from perfect and this story is far from perfect. Thank you for pointing out my errors.**

**IKhandoZatman: *excited fan girl squeal* you figured it out! Yes, the Greek word spells out Artemis. Congratulations, I give you cookies and sweet tea. If there is anything you want to see in the story, PM me and we'll talk. **

**DISCLAIMER- I, Sketch1997, do not and will most likely never, own anything of Batman but my OC's and my crazy and depressingly pathetic spin off. If any characters, events, or disasters that I create should resemble real life, it is purely coincidental.**

**XXX**

No one was really sure how it happened. One minute it was a seemingly peaceful dinner- or it was peaceful as it could be in the DiCario household. Before everything hit the fan- it was obvious something was wrong. Annabeth had barely touched her food she just kept stared at a point no one could really see as she lost herself in thought. Maria was also throwing an off vibe; she kept looking in between her oldest daughter and her husband as she looked to be preparing for a mental battle.

Finally, not very loud as if not to attract attention, Annabeth casually mentioned to her father that she had found an apartment and was moving into it tomorrow. After that, multiple things happened at once:

The doorbell rang- and there was probably a clap of thunder.

Christopher DiCario choked on the piece of steak he had just attempted to swallow.

Chris DiCario dropped his fork.

Maria DiCario choked on her wine as she averted her eyes and busied herself with the triplets.

Annabeth DiCario fled the scene with saying something of meeting some friends at a local bar.

Even now, as Shelby DiCario looked at the chaotic pieces of her family she still had trouble processing what just happened. Carmine Falcone walked in with a grin on his face- but it disappeared when he saw the chaos, "What… what just happened?"

**XXX**

Annabeth didn't stop running until she was five blocks away, panting heavily as she looked back- almost expecting a horde of body guards to take her back to her father who was most likely seeing red and ready to chain her to a wall in the basement until it was time for her to head the family.

After a few minutes of nothing but a bird singing she sighed and walked down the road, fully intending on being gone as long as she could. Her eyes drifted to a small park, deciding a small walk would be in her best interest. She just had to stay away- it couldn't be that hard.

XXX

'**Peach.'**

'_ENOUGH!'_ Jonathon stood from his chair as he walked to the alcohol cabinet, _'Annabeth is all you have talked about for the past week! I think I preferred you talking about killing Granny!'_

'**No-'**

'_I swear on all my research,' _he placed the bottle of scotch back into the cabinet as he walked back to his seat and picked up his book, _'If you say one more thing about her- I will take the pills.'_

'**Johnny! She is walking on the street right outside of the window!' **That was enough to cause Jonathon dropped his book and snapped over to the window. Sure enough- Annabeth walked outside his apartment, her long black hair flowing behind her as she crossed the street to the park. She looked slightly frazzled, her eyes darting nervously side to side as she entered it.

'**We should grab her' **Scarecrow whispered softly in Johnny's mind, **'make her ours, and only ours.'**

'_No-'_Jonathon didn't realize what he was doing until he had his hand on the doorknob, his coat already on as he prepared to catch up to her, _'you know we can't. She isn't just some little college girl- someone we can easily manipulate. In all actuality- she could probably manipulate us.'_

'**But Johnny~'** Scarecrow purred, **'don't you want her? Imagine this: you come home from a long day of teaching those incompetent children, you're tired and stressed. She is waiting for you at the door…'**

Jonathon closed his eyes as Scarecrow's vision invaded her mind: **He walks into the apartment door, his eyes tired and hair tousled as he placed down his brief case and took off his jacket. Suddenly, two thin pale arms wrapped around his stomach; he feels the owner of the arms nestle their head into his back as he gave a throaty groan.**

"**Rough day?" Her voice was similar to a melody, his headache dimmed as he turned and pulled her closer. **

"**Yes," he growled as he let his hands roam her sides and buried his face in the crook of her neck, "but I'm glad to be home, with you, my dearest Annie."**

"**I'm glad your home," she admitted softly, pulling away slightly to look up at him as she smiled gently, "I've missed you Johnny…" She slowly leaned up, pulling his face closer to hers. His eyes fluttered close as he felt her lips brush his before meeting them fully. **

**Her lips were soft, like two rose petals and she tasted sweet- like chocolate. He pulled her to where she back was against the wall, running his hands through her soft black hair as she moaned softly, "Johnny…"**

"No!" Jonathon slammed his fist against the front door, breaking away from the vision Scarecrow had created, "We can't!"

'**WE CAN.**' Scarecrow surged forward and claimed control of the body, ignoring Johnny's pleas and threats.

"And we will." Scarecrow promised as yanked open the door, "we will very soon."

**XXX**

Annabeth smiled at a passing child, the girl's blonde pig tails bounced up and down as she skipped by. The park was beautiful: the leaves a golden scarlet, the sun set was coming quick in soft violet hues and the breeze was warm. Annabeth loved autumn, almost as much as she loved winter.

"Miss DiCario?" She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to the familiar professor, "Professor Crane? What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a walk," he hummed as he circled her slowly, eyes ranking up and down her body in a hungry fashion. Annabeth felt the hairs go up on the back of her neck, something was off.

"Oh," she backed up away from his a few steps, "well, I have to go. See you in class Monday, Professor Crane-"

"Oh Miss DiCario," he reached forward and grabbed her hand, "I was thinking you might like to join me for dinner?" He smiled charmingly down at her, his eyes twinkling with a hidden mischief.

"Uh," She stared at him, her mind drawing a blank. This wasn't how she imagined her evening going- and she felt like a deer stuck in head lights, "yes?"

"Wonderful!" he pulled her along out of the park and down the street.

"Where are we going?" she asked, slightly worried as he walked brusquely.

"Oh," he chuckled, the sound sending shivers down her spine, "just a lovely little Italian place I know. It's not much longer." She pressed her lips in a thin line- but said nothing.

Wasn't she thinking just earlier today about how she could use him? Now was the perfect opportunity, he was willing and eager. A bit too eager but that wasn't going to deter her. Within ten minutes they were sitting in a small booth, having arrived at the restaurant a minute before. He smiled at her from across the table, "So, Miss DiCario, how has your weekend gone?"

"Alright," she hummed softly, folding her hands in front of her as she glanced around the table, "How has your weekend been, Professor Crane?" He smiled wickedly, "Oh, quite dull actually. And please, call me Jonathon."

"Alright," she smiled, "Jonathon."

**XXX**

'_What the hell?' _Johnny was having trouble understanding the situation. He didn't expect her to agree to Scarecrow's dinner invitation. He didn't expect her to allow Scarecrow to lead her into this booth for dinner by candle light. He didn't expect any of this.

'**I guess I am just one hell of a ladies man.'**

'_No. This isn't right. She comes from a strong back ground, is able to have anything and anyone she could possibly desire. If she can have anything in Gotham, why would she agree to have dinner with us?'_

'**That is… actually making a hell of a lot of sense. I have a bad feeling about this. You take control.'**

'_What?! No!'_

'**Too bad.' **And just like that, Jonathon blinked and was in control of his body. He found her hazel eyes and froze, caught in her gaze. She was studying him, watching him like a tiger might watch her prey.

"Jonathon," she murmured softly, her eyes softening, "are you alright?"

"Yeah-"he scrambled around his head, "I mean, yes. Yes, I am. So, what would you like for dinner?"

**XXX**

It had gone quick- too quick for her liking. For the entire dinner, she had been trying to find a way to offer her proposal. Maybe she should just deceive him, make him think she actually wanted to be with him. But she didn't know how he would react to being used; and she really didn't want to use him.

He was more unpredictable then before.

At the beginning of dinner, he was a Casanova; flirting with her, brushing his legs against her from under the table and complementing her on seemingly nothing.

Then he had blinked as if coming out of a trance and was back to Professor Crane; calm and collected, his answers clipped and non-emotional.

She just couldn't understand him.

She could tell him the truth, and risk him reacting badly and laughing in her face as he left her standing in the street- successfully ruining her chances for a small way to scorn her father.

She could lie to him, and risk him finding out her lies and react badly. But she may be able to play him correctly, scorn her father, and get an A in her class.

He walked her slowly back to the park, and she slowly realized he lived in the old, brick building that was four story and across from said park.

"Dinner was wonderful," Annabeth smiled at him and he smiled back, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Would you like me to give you a ride home?"

"Oh no," she smiled, "I'm alright. I don't live far, but thank you."

"Of course, no worries." They stared at one another, waiting for one of them to speak. Night had fallen; no stars were visible because of Gotham's smog, but the moon was bright.

"Jonathon," she murmured softly, her eyes begging him to make a move.

"Annabeth," he answered, his voice just as soft as hers. He gently reached down, gently brushing her hair from her face as he leaned down. She wasted no time as she reached up and cupped his face, letting her lips meet his.

**XXX**

"Jonathon," Annabeth whispered, her eyes gaining a soft glow as she stared at him. Her eyes were hopeful, staring at him large and innocent and Jonathon felt his heart clench in his throat.

"Annabeth," he answered, still trying to decide is this was another one of Scarecrow's fantasies.

'**It's not me Johnny,'** Scarecrow whispered softly, drinking in her beautiful appearance- enjoying the way her pale skin shined in the moon light. Jonathon hesitated as he slowly reached down, brushing some of her black hair behind her ear and leaning down.

For a second, just a second, he worried she would pull away. That she will laugh in his face and leave him standing in the street like an idiot- but she didn't.

Her lips were as soft as he imagined, if not softer. She did taste sweet, but not like chocolate, more like… autumn. Pumpkin and nutmeg and apples…. She tasted nice. She leaned into the kiss slowly, her hands grasped his collar and let her hand roam his hair; his hands traced down her sides, feeling her subtle curves beneath his large, calloused hands. He pulled her closer and she broke the kiss for air, her face was red and her breathing was slightly raged.

"Jonathon," she breathed, her eyes twinkling. She stared at him a moment longer, before whispering out softly, "I… I have to go home."

"Ah," he tried to hide his disappointment, not really surprised, but still upset. He didn't expect her to come inside his apartment and strip- no. She just kissed him, she didn't need to be pushed any farther.

"But," she continued, "I would love to see you again. Maybe tomorrow night about say… 7:30? Olympian Café? I can order Chinese."

"That would be wonderful," Jonathon smile, a true smile, and she returned it. Leaning up she pressed her lips to his briefly, before breathing out good bye and walking down the sidewalk- away from him.

**XXX**

Annabeth felt fear and dread build in her chest, staring up at the terrifying DiCario house. She had been here for a few minutes, trying to decide if she wanted to go in.

She knew the answer, and it was no. But she had to- she couldn't avoid the run in with her father. She puffed out her chest as she marched in, ignoring the guards glances and whispers as she walked to her father's office. She stood outside his office, staring with a sense of dread.

"Come in!" She heard him call and she blinked, not realizing she had actually knocked. She took a breath and pushed her way in, "Father."

"Annabeth." He stared at her with his elbows on his desk, "where were you tonight?"

"What?" she stared at him, her face slack as she tried to comprehend what he had said, "I was having dinner with a friend…."

"A friend…" he mused, reaching into his desk and pulling out a file, "just a friend…. Just a friend she says." He laughed and threw it at me, staring at me with a seemingly friendly face but with a cold gleam in his eyes.

Annabeth slowly opened the file and felt her heart stop. It was a black and white of her, and Jonathon. They were in the park, they were in the restaurant, they were outside his apartment… kissing. She slowly looked up with a small, terrified grin, "so daddy… I have to tell you something…"

"OH!" He laughed, slamming his hand down onto his desk causing her to jump, "You have to tell me something! Really! You want to tell me how you are moving out and getting your first boyfriend and starting college all in one week maybe? Next- next you want to tell me you don't want to head the family?"

"No-" she choked as she backed up, "Daddy- I- I just want to get out for a little bit. I… I plan on heading the family-"

"DO YOU?!" He shouted standing and glaring at her, "BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO! IT LOOKES LIKE YOU WANT TO RUN AWAY!"

"I'M NOT!" She screamed, causing him to flinch, "I AM THE FUTURE HEAD OF THIS FAMILY. I WILL LEAD THE DICARIO FAMILY TO THE TOP OF GOTHAM! AND NO ONE- NOT YOU OR ANYONE ELSE ON THIS GOD DAMN EARTH WILL TELL ME OTHERWISE!"

**XXX**

Moving day. Annabeth woke about six in the morning, staring at the ceiling as she tried to process how she was going to do today. Never in her life had she had to move. Not even to a different bed room. She had been excused from her father's office immediately after her outburst and she cried herself to sleep.

Annabeth slowly sat up and looked around her room- boxes piled up and nothing left but her clothes for today and a few other toiletries. She got up and slowly got ready for the day, knowing if she wanted to do this she had to do it today.

Money really does speak- she had been able to completely furnish her apartment the same day she got it, just by throwing around a few hundred dollars to the right people. She looked at her watch and saw about an hour had passed and she sighed, it's now or never.

**XXX**

"Yo brat!" Annabeth paused halfway down the stairs, a duffle bag in her arms as she turned to see Chris walking down the stairs, "what do you want?"

"To help," he replied, grabbing her bag out of her arms and started down the steps, "don't get confused- this is not from the kindness of my heart. This is an order from mom."

"Annabeth." Said woman froze and turned to the bottom of the stairs to find the current head of the family standing there, arms crossed, "Walk with me."

"Yes sir," she answered immediately as she walked down to meet him, taking his arm as he led her into the garden.

"Annie," he sighed, stopping in front of the tulips, "you know I love you."

"Yes, father."

"You know I would do anything to protect you."

"Yes, father."

"And you know I would do anything to make you happy."

"Yes, father."

"Annie," he grumbled as he gripped her shoulders, "I want you to stay here."

"No, father."

"Alright," he said, staring down at her, "I think this is a mistake. I think you are going to be hurt- and I am going to be here for you when you do get hurt. Go ahead and do whatever you want- but I will be here, your title as future head of the family will be here, and we will be waiting."

"Daddy," she whispered hugging him, "thank you."

_**XXX**_

**Author's Note: **

**Okay guys. Another chapter. **

**Anyways- yeah. So there will be one more part to this whole "moving in" experience. I know that Jonathon may seem a bit OCC. But- this is how I want him to be. **

**Well, till next time!**


	5. Please Be Gentle

_**Thank you to BoDidley, Elieee13, and Camelotand221b for following my story.**_

_**Thank you to Elieee13 and Camelotand221b for favoring my story. **_

_**Eliee13: Thanks, I'm glad you like it so far!**_

_**DISCLAIMER- I, Sketch1997, do not and will most likely never, own anything of Batman but my OC's and my crazy and depressingly pathetic spin off. If any characters, events, or disasters that I create should resemble real life, it is purely coincidental.**_

**XXX**

Annabeth sighed happily in her apartment, looking out of the small patio in the front and completely content. It was a fairly medium size- plenty large for one person. Her bedroom had a walk in closet and its own bathroom that held a large bath and walk in shower.

There were three ways into her apartment- the main door was on the left side of the building, a large stair case leading to the front doors. The second was a small hallway that came from the café below, connecting to the back of her front closet. The final was a hidden escape hatch, made for fires, that was in the back of her bedroom's walk in closet that led to the alley.

The main room was open and large, that led out to the patio. To your left was a small hallway- leading to Annabeth's bedroom. Right before you walked into the hallway leading to her bedroom you would take a right and hit her kitchen. If you took a left when walking into her apartment you would hit another bathroom- the only special thing other than a sink and toilet was a small bath- and beyond that was her extra bedroom that was fashioned into a beautiful office/library.

Her color scheme was simple: white, gold, and blue. Her floors were cool brown golden marble, except her bedroom that had soft white carpet. Her furniture was a dark blue, and white and gold drapes. She was fully furnished with television and internet, and it looked like she had been living here for years instead of hours.

Right now she wore a soft white sundress that had a sweet heart neckline and cut off right before her knees. Her long black hair was pulled back into a loose braid and she wore neither her watch nor necklace. She was bored but patient- waiting to see her evening guest.

She had Chinese food sitting on her living room table and was looking out for her professor. In his files- she shamelessly looked up after being told he looked up hers- she had found he was from _Arlen, Georgia_. God, the thought alone of him being a "country boy" was enough to make her laugh. She was trying to play this at a right angle, trying to make him fall head over heels in love with her so she could use him.

Yes, it sounds horrible, but she was completely using him. She needed him to love her, to be willing to take a bullet for her. That was the only way she could make their love seem real enough so her father would stop trying to pair her up with Canadian mobsters.

Her thoughts stopped when she heard a car door close. She peaked over the edge and smiled happily, "Jonathon!" He looked up, surprised, "Miss DiCario?" He was wearing a simple dark blue button up shirt, with black pants and his hair slightly wind-blown.

"Hey!" She called, pointing to the left side of the building, "over there! Stair case- front entrance!" He nodded, a bit shocked, but complied. Alright- Mission Crane was now in effect.

**XXX**

'**So she is living above the café.'** Scarecrow noted as Jonathon made his way to the left side of the building, **'well, at least we can come to her place away from her very large and very dangerous family.'**

'_I still don't understand why we are doing this.'_

'**Because she is hot.'** Scarecrow growled as his eyes trailed over her body, taking in the sight of her as she leaned against her front door, barefoot and beautiful,** 'and I want to fuck her. And so do you. So why not?'**

'_Because she threatened to hang me with my vocal cords, perhaps?'_

'**Eh, so she's kinky. No problem- I like it rough.'** Scarecrow was cackling and Jonathon stopped in front of her, "good evening, Miss DiCario."

"Oh please," she laughed, pulling him in, "call me Annabeth!" He nodded and looked around her apartment, "did you just move in?"

"Yeah-"She turned, "Just today actually." He hummed and she led him into the living room, "I didn't really know what you wanted- so I ordered randomly. What would you like to drink?"

"Oh," He tore his eyes away from a decoration of a multitude of family photos on the wall, "anything will be fine." She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen- he turned back to the pictures.

The one in the center was larger than the rest, but it had a hell of a lot of people in it. He found Annabeth easily; she stood towards the center- right next to whom he assumed to be the current Don. Her family was large- very, very large-

"See something interesting?" He startled and turned to see her placing two sodas on the table and walking towards him with a smirk.

"I-"he turned back to the picture, "I just- Is this all your family?"

"Yeah," she laughed, pointing to multiple people, "that's my mom and dad, and those are my siblings Shelby and Chris… Christian and the triplets and my grandparents and all my uncles and aunts and cousins and- are you okay?"

"You have a large family."

"Yeah," she pulled him towards the table while thinking quietly to herself, _'and not a single one of them would hesitate to kill you.'_

"So your new place looks nice," he complimented while picking at his rice, still trying to figure out why the hell he was actually here. Scarecrow was right; Miss DiCario- Annabeth- was very, very beautiful. She had an elegant way about her, a soft and workless look to her. She moved and acted as if she had not a single worry or doubt, like she had never worked a day in her life. She possessed an air of regal calm, with a quiet but strong demeanor and an assertive personality.

"So Jonathon," she smiled, "would you like to watch a comedy or action? Or, since Halloween is in a couple months, we can watch a horror movie?" Annabeth couldn't help but notice how her professor's eyes seemed to light up at that last suggestion, so she smiled and grabbed the newest horror movie she bought, "Oculus okay?"

"Oculus?" Well Jonathon certainly hadn't heard of it, even though it sounded fairly interesting.

"It's a horror/psychological thriller about this haunted mirror." She smiled back at him from where she was crouched in front of her flat-screen.

"Ah," he returned the brief smile while she sat next to him and pressed play.

**XXX**

Neither of them was sure how it really happened, but then again neither was really complaining. One moment they were sitting on the couch, the movie about half way through and they were done with dinner. The movie proved alright enough, although it did cause them to think a lot, and right when one of the main characters got a call or something, it happened.

They both had looked at one another, no real reason for it- it had just been one of those random things. They made brief eye contact, and then before Jonathon had the chance to blink Annabeth had leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

He paused, if only for a moment, and then returned the soft kiss. He wrapped his arms around her torso, deepening the kiss as he slightly pulled her on top of him.

'_This is perfectly okay,'_ Jonathon reasoned mentally, _'she is an adult. I am an adult. People our age do this sort of thing all the time for no good reason.'_

'**Uh, Johnny,'** Scarecrow timidly spoke up- Jonathon slightly surprised because Scarecrow was never timid or quiet, **'Not to burst your bubble, but most adults don't have make out sessions with their students.'**

'_Why do you want to ruin this?'_

'**I don't!'** Scarecrow hissed, pausing to groan when she slowly moved to fully straddle his waist, **'I just am not sure this is a great idea-'**

"Jonathon?" She had pulled back and was slowly running her hands through his hair, "I need to ask you something."

"…alright?" He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not- part of him didn't want the answer.

"Do you want this to be no strings attached?" She asked quietly, never breaking eye contact, "… or do you maybe want to make something out of this?"

"Uh…" He wasn't sure.

Yes, no strings attached would be nice- but only to extent. In his short time with Annabeth, Jonathon had grown to enjoy her presence and smile. If it was no string attached, he wouldn't be able to pursue an actual romantic relationship with her. He wouldn't be able to come home every day, to find her waiting for him- to greet him with a genuine smile.

With that being said, he would love to make something out of this. This wouldn't only give him possible companion ship, but if you could possibly imagine all the connections this could open up… He wanted to complete his toxin, and to do so he needed drugs. She was the daughter of a major Don, with connections to hidden markets and illegal substances.

A con of both was her family. Either way, he didn't see himself as being appropriate for their image of her future lover/husband.

'_Advise?'_ Jonathon asked wearily, hoping for once his alter would have something useful.

'**You know me Johnny,'** he cackled, trying a little too hard to be at ease, **'I prefer to love em' then leave em'! But, we need to complete the toxin so we can make them scream, so we should take the opportunity why we can!'**

"You are taking, like, way too long to answer." Annabeth commented softly, continuing to run her hands through his hair in a slow motion, "just tell me."

"Which would you rather have?" He questioned hesitantly, knowing her choice would impact his finale decision.

"Why whatever you want," she purred, capturing his lips briefly before pulling back once again, "I don't mind either way."

"And if I said whatever you want?" he asked quietly, trying to understand what she was thinking, trying to read her eyes.

"Well then we would probably be here all night!" she laughed. Suddenly her face turned serious, "really though. You need to decide, now."

"Which option would get me laid tonight?" Scarecrow asked, poker faced as he took control suddenly from Jonathon.

'_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' _Jonathon demanded as he fought for control back.

'**Oh shut up,'** Scarecrow mentally scowled at him while Annabeth was sitting there with wide eyes and a dropped mouth, **'I am only going to finish off this flirtatious standoff. Then you can have control.'**

They might have gone farther into the argument had Annabeth not shocked them, by laughing. She let her head fall on his shoulder as she hugged herself tightly to him, "Wow. That depends on how gentle you will be."

**XXX**

Yeah… this was definitely not how Annabeth planned her evening going. She had been enjoying the movie a little before she had turned to look at him, just happening to catch his eye.

His eyes were gorgeous- such a mind numbing blue that Annabeth could feel herself getting lost in them. She wasn't completely in control, but she leaned over and took his lips. He hesitated only a moment, and soon enough she was straddling him.

She had to know now, how he wanted to proceed. She would prefer him to answer with he wanted a relationship. That would guarantee him around longer and guarantee more time away from her family's bachelor insistents. But she couldn't be picky- fearing if she came off too whiney and clingy he would run, and fearing is she were to distant and withdrawn he would run.

His comment about getting laid threw her off- knowing even though she hadn't known him long a comment like that didn't seem him. But she knew she had to just keep rolling with it, so she laughed. That seemed to throw him off guard.

"Wow. That depends on how gentle you will be," she laughed. Alright, in all actuality Annabeth was still a virgin. She didn't want to be- no, she wanted to get it over with, to get laid. Being homeschooled her entire life with no social interactions other than family or allies took its toll on the number of friends Annabeth had.

"If I said I would be very gentle?" Jonathon asked as his eyes lightened up a bit.

"Then I would wonder why we aren't in bed now." And that was it. He lifted her off the couch with ease, causing her to gasp as she clung to him for dear life.

"Where is your bedroom?" he huskily whispered.

"Down there, past the kitchen." She replied with her own low tone as he carried her in said direction. He entered her room swiftly and tossed her on the bed, taking a moment to admire the way her breasts slightly bounced when she landed.

"Jonathon," she groaned, once he was on top of her and allowing his lips to travel her body. He pushed her back down onto the bed and grinned at her.

"Annabeth," he answered softly, grabbing the back of her head tenderly as her own hands secured the back of his neck, and "I would like nothing more then to be with you. I want you to be mine, and only mine."

**XXX**

Jonathon hadn't meant to say it out loud- not that last sentence, at least. But he did, and while she stared at him with her large hazel eyes he wondered if he made a mistake. In the end, to gain access to more materials for his toxin and to make sure she didn't run off for someone else, he decided an actual relationship would be the best course of action. But he didn't want to scare her off- or well scare her at all, not just quite yet.

Oh, both Jonathon and Scarecrow wondered if she would scream if confronted with her worst fear. They wondered if her eyes would go wide- if she would go flight of fight. They wanted to hear her scream, to cry and beg for mercy. Not only for her worst fear, but her worst desire- them.

It was no secret among Jonathon and Scarecrow that they both wanted to sleep with Annabeth. She was beautiful, and they wanted to hear her scream for them loud enough for all of Gotham to hear.

"Jonathon," she breathed, her eyes closing as she ran one hand down his chest, successfully undoing every button she came across in one swift motion, "please be gentle."

**XXX**

The next morning when she woke, she found her self tangled in sheets and in an empty bed.

**XXX**

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Okay guys, sorry about the chapter being a day late. I don't really have an excuse. **_

_**Also, the next chapter might come out sooner then Wednesday but will most certainly not be any later than Wednesday. So keep an eye out. **_

_**Anyways, until next time,**_

_**-Sketch1997**_


	6. Eurasian Lynx

**Thank you to visionaryopticle, windwolf1988, and Calliope's Scribe for following Beautiful Lie.**

**Thank you to Calliope's Scribe for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Lilies and Bobcats: ah, I am excited that you are excited. Although I have to warn you, this story is nowhere close to being done. I didn't realize how I could have moved into the pro log because of last chapter until I read your review. Thank you, for taking the time to review- it really helps encourage me to write. **

**DISCLAIMER- I, Sketch1997, do not and will most likely never, own anything of Batman but my OC's and my crazy and depressingly pathetic spin off. If any characters, events, or disasters that I create should resemble real life, it is purely coincidental.**

**XXX**

The shower was hot to a point of scalding. The steam in the slightly larger than standard sized bathroom was so great she could hardly breathe, but Annabeth didn't care. Tears streamed down her face as she scrubbed her body over and over again- trying to get rid of the feeling of his cool and calloused hands roaming her body, the feeling of his lips brushing below her chest, the feeling of absolute filthiness that made her want to break down completely.

She had done it- finally. She had finally lost her virginity, her "purity", and she wasn't happy about it in the slightest. It had hurt, but it had also felt good. And while Annabeth was relieved, she also found a hot spike of hurt in her chest at waking up to an empty bed. She had slept with him not only for her own physical needs and desires, but for the hopes that he would be committed to stay- that that would seal the deal.

But this morning when she woke, his bed side was cold, and his car was gone. No note, no number, nothing left behind to prove he was there except the soreness of her body and the leftover dinner. Maybe it was the fact that she felt blown off, used, that had made her so angry. But there was no point in crying about it, she knew that. She was late for class- she had just enough time to make art, maybe.

She didn't really want to see him- it was her pride, he knocked it down with one swift strike. But it had built back up in the past hour, catching in her throat and causing her to have this horrible chocking feeling to be lodged there.

Annabeth sighed softly to herself as she dressed. A white tank top, grey knit sweater, and dark jeans with black boots. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, falling straight as a whip to her mid back; as well as wearing her necklace and watch. She slowly walked to her door, taking in the silence of the apartment.

She couldn't help it really. She didn't want to love him; she just wanted to use him for her own needs- to manipulate him. But he manipulated her- and it hurt. It hurt a lot.

**XXX**

Annabeth waited until the last minute to walk into her third and final class- not looking to his desk as she sat in her usual seat. Not looking up when she called "here" for her turn in roll. Not looking up when he handed back the tests- or when he purposely but discretely let his hand brush hers when he handed it to her.

She just couldn't. And when he asked if she wanted to stay after class, to get the assignment from Psychology that she missed earlier that day, she said no- that she would get it off the website. She ignored his eyes- the endless blue that captured her every time she looked, from the moment she walked in to now when the bell was ringing.

She didn't have time for him now- she had to find another plan to scorn her father a bit more. She couldn't hang around him and be stuck on it.

"Miss DiCario-"He called as she started to walk out, causing her to stop dead, "If you could actually stay for a minute."

**XXX**

She was upset- that much was evident to Jonathon as he observed her through class. She refused to meet his eyes, to stay alone with him. And he knew why.

Jonathon wasn't fully old fashion- but he certainly wasn't one to bed a woman for her first time and then leave while she was sleeping. But he didn't have a choice.

_***FLASHBACK***_

_Jonathon was comfortable- much too comfortable for being alone in his bed. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at a sleeping Annabeth. She lay nude next to him, one leg half thrown over him while she had her face nestled in his chest. Her breathing was soft, her face at ease; black hair spread behind her in wild, tangled waves and her skin soft. _

_He couldn't help but smile and tighten his arms around her. She looked so peaceful he couldn't help but laugh, 'so this is the fierce daughter of the Irish mob…'_

'_**Adorable,' **__Scarecrow grumbled, not happy to be awake, __**'but can we go back to sleep?' **_

'_No,' Jonathon mentally sighed, 'we have to get up. It's- fuck.'_

'_**What?'**_

'_We have ten minutes before we have to open the door for class.' He detangled himself and in a flurry of minutes was dressed and ready to go. He would have walked out- if not for the sleeping girl. He turned and sighed, knowing that he picked a bad time to sleep with her. In all honesty, if he had his way, he would strip and crawl back into bed- with her. _

"_Annabeth," he breathed softly, brushing back some of her hair out of her face, '"Annabeth- wake up."_

"_Nooo," she groaned as she rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow, "'em tired…" He sighed and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. He didn't have time to cox her awake, nor did he have time for a note. He sent one last glance filled with longing to her as he exited the apartment. _

'_**Love 'em and leave 'em, eh?'**__ Scarecrow noted as Jonathon hurried down the steps._

'_No.' He stopped before his car and took another look at her apartment, 'We aren't leaving, technically. We will see her in class.'_

_***FLASHBACK OVER***_

The doors closed after the last student left and the room was empty- save for Annabeth and Jonathon. He knew he had at most four minutes before the next class would start coming in, so he had to be quick with this discussion. He stood and walked swiftly over to her; Annabeth's back was to him as she stared at the door- ready to leave.

"Annabeth," he sighed softly as he gently pulled her worn brown satchel away and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling the crook of her neck. She bit back a moan as he moved his hands in circular patterns, not wasting any time as he breathed, "I didn't just leave you this morning."

"You could have fooled me," she muttered and he pulled back. He turned her around and lifted her chin slightly, his piercing blue eyes meeting her hazel gold, "I was late. I tried to wake you, but you were out cold. I told you last night I want there to be an 'us', so why would I just leave you like that?"

"You said what would get you laid." She suggested, but her eyes and her tone softened as she realized what had happened. He smiled slightly at her, knowing that whatever argument might have ensued was avoided.

'**And we just stopped your first couple's argument!' **Scarecrow cheered.

'_Shut up,'_ Jonathon thought as he gently kissed Annabeth_, 'you didn't do anything. So stop trying to take the credit.' _He ignored his other half's grumbling and pressed his lips to Annabeth's forehead, "We need to talk. But we don't have time- I have three more classes. If you want- you can wait in my office for a little while, or we can meet for dinner tonight."

"Dinner sounds wonderful," she commented lightly, pulling back to look up at him, "Maybe Isabell's? The Italian place from the night at the park?"

'_Ah yes, the night Scarecrow got out and played with you for a bit- poor naive Annabeth, do you even realize how much danger you were in?' _Jonathon thought as he confirmed their date for seven sharp. She gave him one last kiss and hurried out of the classroom, his eyes following the flirty sway of her hips.

'**Hey!'** Scarecrow exclaimed as Jonathon sat at his desk, preparing for the onslaught of students, **'I didn't plan on hurting her! Just… getting to know her- actually meet her…'**

'_Something you still haven't actually done.'_

'**Well if you would let me properly introduce myself-' **

'_No.'_

**XXX**

People were most likely terrified. It wasn't every day you see a young woman walking through the Narrow's with a giant smile on her face. And of course, it being the Narrows, everyone knew who the young woman was.

Annabeth walked down the street casually, not having to worry about being mugged, raped, or killed because she was a DiCario. And everyone, _everyone_, knew not to fuck with a DiCario unless you had a death wish.

It had happened once a long while back: Annabeth's cousin Macey, who was a few years older than her, was walking through Gotham alone. A group of men, having just had a few drinks at the Ice Berg lounge, saw this beautiful red head walking down the street that couldn't have be any older than nineteen.

Well, even after learning Macey was a DiCario, they still raped her and left her for dead. Had it not been for Gambol, head of the Nigerian mob, passing by, she would have died. Oh, they found the men alright responsible. And it took GCPD months to piece the bodies back together. They were still missing one of the guys left foot.

After the dismembering of the men, nobody even dared approach a DiCario without being called on the street. It was dangerous- because even though they weren't the top family of Gotham, they were the largest without a doubt.

But we are getting off track. Annabeth was happy for one reason and one reason only: Jonathon didn't use her. It made sense, Annabeth was a heavy sleeper, and she wouldn't have woken up if he had just gently whispered in her ear- and from what she gathered about him, that is exactly what he would do.

There was another reason she was happy, but a reason that would get most people to raise their eyebrows and take a few steps back. While leaving the College campus, Annabeth got a call from her brother Chris.

"Yo brat!" he practically shouted from the phone's speakers, causing Annabeth to wince and hold the phone a bit away from her head, "You know that guy you've been looking for? We got him!"

"What are you going on about?" she asked with a sigh, walking again as she headed to her apartment, it being only ten minutes away, "what guy?"

"Ya know," he sounded whiney, impatient, "the guy who snitched on the operation down by the docks last month?" Oh, that guy. About a month ago, the DiCarios were getting a shipment of this new drug _'Metamorphic'_ from Egypt. It was supposed to be incredible, and they had already had regular clients asking for it. Of course, when they were loading up the drugs, the law decided to show up. They got out with only half the drugs they ordered, wasting thousands of dollars with the drugs they were forced to leave behind. The Don put Annabeth and Chris in charge of finding the snitch, and Chris offered to find him/her if Annabeth would do the job of punishing when time came. She agreed.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." She hung up after getting the address, smiling widely as she headed to the Narrows. She loved being a part of the DiCario family.

**XXX**

"Who did you sell the information to?" Annabeth asked for what seemed to be the millionth time. She stood with her arms crossed in front of the skinnier than a twig man tied to a chair.

"I won't tell; give me your worst!" He spit, quite literally, at her feet, blood smacking the cold cement floor. In all honesty, it was almost four and Annabeth had been very patient with this many; only knocking out a few teeth and breaking a couple bones. But he was getting on her nerves.

"Alright," she sighed, "just remember, you asked for it." She whistled, as if hailing a taxi, and the thudding of paws could be heard from the distance. After a few moments of painful suspense, a large cat like thing ran around the corner. It was similar to a tiger, but had a light brown coat with dark spots/splotches. It had a white chin and had ears that were white tipped, a black tipped medium sized tail.

"This," Annabeth exclaimed proudly as she knelt next to the creature, "Is Zoe, she is a Eurasian lynx. Native to the top half of Europe, and of course, Asia; but most commonly is known through Ireland. So common in Ireland, in fact, that the Eurasian Lynx is protected and sacred to my family. We have several as pets, but Zoe is mine." She stroked the lynx's head lovingly, earning a purr from said creature.

"Now," She smiled at her little snitch, "You want to tell me who offered you protection for information?"

"N-never!" He was staring terrified at the lynx, but was unwavering and Annabeth tsked.

"Oh that's a shame." She stood and with a completely straight face pointed to the man, "Zoe. Attack."

**XXX**

"It was the Canadians." Chris looked up to see his sister exiting the interrogation room, her face slightly sweaty but other than that appeared calm. He let his eyes flicker to the clock, noticing it was now about half past five.

"You wanna come home for dinner tonight?" Chris asked, turning his attention back to his newspaper, "dinner is boring without someone to fight- I mean, talk to."

"Yeah you wish," she laughed, leaning down to pet Zoe as she grabbed her bag, "I have a prior commitment."

"Oh," he shook his head and peaked over the paper to gauge her reaction, "got a date or something?" She stopped dead and for a moment said nothing, "So what? Are you dad's spy or something?"

"Nah." He placed the paper down and folded his hands in front of him, looking very much like their father when he did that, "I just want to know if my big sister is alright."

"I'm fine," she laughed and the atmosphere relaxed, "I'm just meeting with friend."

"Your teacher?"

"What?!" she stopped and turned, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, "How did-"

"Dad showed me the picture." He smiled knowingly and she narrowed her eyes, "so, is he a good kisser?"

"Shut up asshole!"

**XXX**

"Good evening, Jonathon." Jonathon couldn't help the smile when his eyes landed on Annabeth, seated in the same booth as the night that seemed so long ago with a smile on her face, "Miss DiCario; you look exquisite." She smiled in thanks and took a sip of water; she had changed her outfit, now wearing her hair loose with a lazy curl and a slightly tight blue dress that flared at the bottom with a low V-neck and long sleeves.

"So how was your day?" He questioned her softly, staring at her flickering golden eyes in the candle light.

"It was alright," she answered with a small, secretive smile. He quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. They ate in a comfortable silence, save the occasional small topic of conversation. Jonathon paid for dinner and led her to his car.

"Let me give you a ride home," he insisted, slightly pushing her to his car, "I insist."

"Very well," she laughed.

**XXX**

Within minutes they were sitting outside of the Olympian Café, parked in the alley way right next to her front door. He had his lips pressed to hers urgently, letting his tongue slid across her bottom lip and earning a moan from her.

He slowly pulled her across the front seat to where she was straddling him, her head just brushing the ceiling. Her hands slowly moved to run through his hair while his hands slowly roamed her sides.

"Mm," she pulled back slightly, looking down at him with slightly hooded eyes, "You realize I have an empty apartment right there, right?" He only chuckled and leaned up again, taking her lips a second time.

"Annabeth," he whispered, his nose brushing hers, "do you want me to stay the night?"

"Yes…" she answered in a small voice, her face blushing slightly as she looked away, "But- but you don't have to! If ever you like, want time alone, just say so and I can back-"

"Annabeth," he pressed his lips to hers again, "I want to stay the night, but I need to grab some things from my apartment."

"Oh," she laughed slightly and leaned back, "okay. Um, how do I get out? I can barely move my legs."

**XXX**

There were only a few times Annabeth could say for a hundred percent that she felt completely safe and at ease.

Once was whenever she would visit the Ice Berg lounge as a child, letting Fish- the past owner- braid her hair while she listened to Uncle Carmine and her father tell her tales of when they were younger and the faint sound of jazz from the band practicing.

Another was the first time she got Zoe, her Eurasian Lynx. She had been just a tiny kitten then- looking more like a tiger cub than a lynx with the exception she was slightly larger than a typical cub. Zoe was Annabeth's main birthday present when she turned sixteen.

Finally, the most recent, was she found she had not a care while lying in Jonathon's arms; just as she was doing now.

The moonlight was blocked out by the curtains and blinds, the room a moderate temperature and relaxing. She had both arms locked around his chest, one leg slightly on top while the other was slightly underneath him, and her head pressed to his chest. He himself was holding onto her loosely, his face slack and was turned slightly in her direction so he could hold her in a more comfortable position.

This didn't feel right, for either of them. Not in the sense it wasn't comfortable, but more in the sense it felt fragile. But neither were going to focus on that right now.

Now, as they lay in one another's arm, they could pretend there was nothing else. No fear toxin, no mob deals, no annoying students or no traitorous snitches. It was just them, and right now, that was all they wanted.

**XXX**

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Alright, my beautiful readers. I am done, until next Wednesday. In case anyone was wondering: yes, the Eurasian Lynx is a real animal that lives in Ireland. Wikipedia told me so. You can google a picture, Annabeth's looks like a standard lynx like animal. **_

_**Also, I feel the need to tell you all that Reviews are in no way required or should you feel pressured into reviewing. It is nice to get a review, whether it be praise or criticism. But, in all honesty- I personally can't stand it when an author on this site tells us to review so many times for the next chapter. It's like, "seriously? Just let's get on to the story!" **_

_**Finally, the chapter might be a little late next week. I got homecoming to prepare for, and not only am I helping set up the stuff but I am obligated to go with my boyfriend. Though, I will get the chapter up no later than twenty four hours after Wednesday.**_

_**Well, thanks again to my followers and all, but I am going to bed.**_

_**Until next time,**_

_**-Sketch1997**_


	7. Everything Is Alright

**Thank you to "MissFury" and "Animated Innovation" for following Beautiful Lie. **

**Thank you to "And If I Can Be" and "MissFury" for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Ellieee13: aw, thanks! **

**Alright guys, two important facts to understand:**

**1.) A time skip as occurred. We were maybe mid to late august last chapter, but now, we are in mid-October; the 15****th**** to be exact.**

**2.) There will be light spoiler to the "Heroes of Olympus: Blood of Olympus". I read the book, and cried. If you intend on reading said book, you should probably hold out on this chapter until you do read it. Or, I don't give specific facts, but I pretty much sum up the ending. You have been warned.**

**XXX**

"You have got to be kidding me." Jonathon looked up to see Annabeth staring at the book in her hands, a bewildered look on her face. They had been in a relationship for a couple months, and it had been great. More than great, actually; and that worried him. Nothing in Jonathon Crane's life had ever gone so good, and now, he had a great woman and a great job, and his toxin was almost complete. He was honestly expecting something to happen.

"What is it?" He asked worriedly, worried he did something wrong. She stared at the book for a couple more seconds and looked up to him; he was shocked to see tears forming in her eyes as she whimpered out, "Jonathon…"

He was up immediately, walking across her living room and up to her so he could comfort her. He shushed her and gathered him in his arms on the couch, putting aside the blasted book and rocking back and forth as she cried.

"Shh," he breathed, "just relax Annie. It's alright…"

"I know it's alright!" she sobbed, "that's the problem!"

"Come again?" He pulled back slightly to look at her tear stained face; she stuttered out slowly, "I finished the book." He blinked, having a hard time comprehending what she was saying, "You just got that book today; it was over five hundred pages."

"I know!" She moaned, pressing her head back to his chest as she groaned out, "I just couldn't put it down! Johnny- everyone's alive! The bad people died- the camps live on! But- but it's over! There wasn't a prophesy at the end of this book- and he is making us wait a year until he releases the new series!"

"Peach…" He stared at her with uncertainty in his eyes, "Don't you think you might be getting just a little worked up over nothing-" He stopped talking when her eyes flashed dangerously; they sat in silence for a few minutes until Annabeth pulled away and growled out lowly, "Yeah. I guess that I am getting worked up for nothing- sorry about that." He had a feeling this wasn't over, but he wasn't going to push his luck.

"Are you ready to go to bed?" He asked/suggested, smiling as he stood and held out his hand. Ever since they started their relationship, there was not a night where they didn't sleep together. Most people might argue that they were moving far too fast, that Jonathon shouldn't spend every night at Annabeth's house. But in all honesty, neither cared.

She nodded and stood, holding out her arms as she pouted out her bottom lip. He just shook his head and laughed, easily reaching down and picking her up, "silly girl." She only hummed in response and buried her face in his shoulder.

Within fifteen minutes they were both laying in the room, Annabeth was already asleep and resting peaceful while curled up against Jonathon's side. Jonathon himself was not asleep; he was watching Annabeth sleep. His blue eyes trailed down her figure, from the top of head to her feet, enjoying the warmth her body provided. Seriously, Annabeth was warmer than anyone Jonathon had ever met.

'**Asshole.'** Scarecrow's voice was back in Jonathon's head- causing the latter to groan out loud. It was a pretty rotten thing to do, but Jonathon had no choice- he had to take the pills. Sometime in late September, Scarecrow had almost revealed himself to Annabeth. Jonathon couldn't let that happen- not now, not ever. She would call him crazy- tell him to get out. And even though they hadn't even been together for more than a couple months, not even that, he couldn't lose her.

'_It needed to be done. You jeopardized the relationship.' _Jonathon snarled mentally, his face angry as she stared down at him sleeping girlfriend.

'**Jeopardized the relationship!?'** Scarecrow cried in outrage, **'Have you forgotten about the toxin- about our plans?!'**

'_Of course not! The toxin is almost complete-'_

'**But, even though we have worked so hard on it, you are going to abandon it for her.'**

'_No!'_

'**Oh don't lie to me Johnny. You might not be able to hear me when you take that pill, but I am still here. I still hear everything you hear, everything you think. Look, if you want a relationship, fine. Go for it, but you better know I won't be on the back burner the entire time. If you really like her, you better hope she accepts me.'**

Jonathon grimace as he sighed, tightening his grip on Annabeth as he closed his eyes. Jonathon didn't want to give up his toxin, his dream; but the thought of a future with Annabeth was tempting. Part of his personal mind knew though that it wouldn't happen; he constantly had to remind himself that she was a part of the mob.

And who was he, to criticize Scarecrow's own desires and dreams. Of course Scarecrow would want to come out, to be acknowledged. Him being forgotten was Scarecrow's largest fear after all.

But how the hell was he going to break it to her? It's not like it is a common conversation topic, not like the weather or last Sunday's football game. A sharp stabbing pain hit the back of his head and he hissed, leaning away from Annabeth, _'WHAT THE HELL-'_

'**No Johnny. It's now or never. I want to meet her-right-now.'** Jonathon went still, before suddenly slumping back down to the bed and breathing heavily. After catching his breath, Jonathon-no, Scarecrow-smiled wickedly and let loose a small chuckle.

'_Don't you dare-'_Jonathon began as he fought his other half for control, but was cut off by said alter ego.

"Oh but I do." Scarecrow chuckled out loud as he leaned over Annabeth, slowly stroking her cheek, "Ah, my beautiful Peach. Wake up, my love" She stirred slightly and rolled closer to the danger in her bed, not hesitating to wrap her arms around his waist and slipping deeper into sleep.

'_SCARECROW-'_

"No, Jonathon." Scarecrow lay down as he closed the small distance in between Annabeth and him, "I am done with being ignored." He let his lips taker hers greedily, cupping her face and deepening the kiss when she softly groaned. He grinned when she kissed back, now partially awake as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Johnny…"

"Not quite," He pulled back, "wake up- I have to tell you something." She opened one hazel eye slowly, and let her other eye open as she glared at him, "What? Now- what time is it?"

"Around midnight," he answered softly, "And I have to tell you now, it's very important."

"Alright," she grumbled, sitting up as she started to gently play with his hand, running her small and pale hand over his larger and calloused one.

"Have you heard of MPD?" He asked, noticing the way her eyes snapped up to his suddenly and her hand stilled, "No, is it a sex disease?"

**XXX**

Annabeth's sleep was peaceful, and she was enjoying it. Seriously, there was nothing better than a deep and peaceful sleep. But Jonathon woke her up- and on the inside she was pissed, really, really, pissed. But she still smiled, and she kissed him back.

"Johnny," she murmured softly, she felt him pull back when he muttered, "not quite. Wake up- I have to tell you something." She slowly opened one eye sleepily, her other eye opening to glare at him as she growled out, "What? Now- what time is it?" He smiled crookedly, as he answered softly, "Around midnight. And I have to tell you now, it's very important."

"Alright," She gave up in a defeated tone; she began to trace the lines on his hand, humming to herself as she rubbed them slowly.

"Have you ever heard of MPD?" he asked suddenly, his eyes unreadable when her eyes snapped up to his, her hand stopping their movement. Of course she had, she's in Psychology for Christ's sake, and one of the very first things he had taught her was the disorders. Well, she was- she kind of dropped out of his classes earlier this month. But that was a whole other story.

"No," she answered with an easy lie, deciding to play dumb, "is it a sex disease?" He laughed, like actually laughed to the point where he was trying to stop by smothering his laughter with a pillow. He continued to laugh for a few minutes and she couldn't help but join in, enjoying the fact she made him laugh hard enough for tears to form in his eyes.

"No-"he finally got in under control and pulled her close. They lay on their sides, Annabeth's back to the window while his was to the bathroom; he had an arm draped across her waist almost possessively, and he was propped on his other elbow. He stared at her with those damn blue eyes, and she waited nervously as he continued, "MPD stands for Multiple Personality Disorder."

"Okay…" she couldn't lie about the fear of where he was going with this. What was he going to do, tell her he had it?

"Well," he looked away for a moment, as if listening to someone else, "what if I was to tell you I had it- if I had more than one person in my mine?"

"I'd ask if this was the first time we met." She answered, catching him off guard.

**XXX**

"What?" he stared at her and she managed a tight lipped smile, "there are times, when you are Professor Crane… cold, a little bit of an asshole, and respect personal space. Then there are other times where you are… just the complete opposite, aside from the asshole part…." Scarecrow stared at her a bit before slowly managing out, "If I was to answer no to your question-"

"I'd ask to get to know you." She moved to where she was half way on top of him, her hazel eyes glittered with determination.

"My name is Scarecrow." He finally answered and she smiled.

"Scarecrow…" she hummed softly, letting the name roll off of her tongue as if she tasted it. He shuddered slightly as she repeated a second time, smiling as she leaned down and kissed him.

"Alright," she breathed, pulling back and looking at him with the smile staying in place, "we will talk about this in the morning, but for now, sleep."

'**What-'**

'_I have no damn clue.'_ Jonathon was given control and as soon as he was in charge of his body he pulled away slightly, looking down to Annabeth who lay already back to sleep. He slowly let his hand move forward to where he cupped her cheek, stroking her lips with his thumb.

"Annabeth…" he sighed softly; leaning forward he pressed his lips to her temple, laying down he pulled himself closer and breather in her autumn like scent. He was wondering if her was dreaming- he had just told her his worst secret, and yet she smiled and went back to sleep, not afraid in the slightest.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting, to say the least.

**XXX**

Annabeth was terrified; she struggled to control her breathing and feign sleeping, and so far it had fooled her once professor. The thought of him having more than one personality, it kind of freaked her out. Alright no, she was entirely freaked out; but she wouldn't show it.

Her instincts were screaming at her, telling her not to act terrified. Not to let him know she was terrified, because that would be showing weakness. Him having this mental problem, it could be dangerous to her. Or her family.

She waited ten minutes, twenty, maybe thirty, before she dared open her eyes. He was out cold and she stared at him, taking in how at ease he looked in the faint, pale moonlight. He had his fair share of scars though; thin and white they ran down his entire back and peppered his front torso, as well as brushing his shoulders.

The other said his name as Scarecrow, a terrifying name for an equaling terrifying personality. She was honestly just winging it and assuming she had been speaking to him. His body language was different then Jonathon's; Scarecrow was more possessive, demanding, and felt the need to have the entire attention on him, while Jonathon was possessive he didn't feel the need to show it so dominantly, wasn't demanding in the sense he could wait to get what he wants, and seemed to be alright with being in the shadows.

Annabeth wasn't sure what she was going to do with this other side of him, this Scarecrow. She honestly came to love Jonathon, to the point where it was almost suffocating to be away from him so long; when they were apart to long she felt as though she had been forced off of life saving medication. She hated feeling like that, it made her seem weak.

What if to get to her family, to her, someone was to kidnap Jonathon? What if he was taken out to send a message to her, what if he was hurt in any way because of her? That thought made her angry beyond belief, thinking someone would hurt her Jonathon. It pissed her off, almost to the point where she was willing to lock him in her basement or something equally crazy to ensure his safety.

At this though Annabeth laughed, _'Dad always said if you love something set it free, but Mom always said if you love something lock it in a basement and feed it through a slot in the door.' _This caused her to pull away and walk silently and quickly into the living room to stifle her laughter, trying her hardest not to wake him.

She sighed as she finally got it under control and walked into the kitchen, looking at the clock to find it was almost two in the morning. She growled in frustration knowing she would not be able to get back to sleep.

Maybe that was for the best though; she knew that she had to decide what to do about Jonathon… and Scarecrow. That caused a headache to ring in her head; causing her to groan. She could always just leave, walk out right now and she could never see him again.

But could she do that? Annabeth loved Jonathon, and in relationships you were supposed to overcome the obstacles, right? So if she really loved him, she could take this "Scarecrow" and… what? Deal with him? Make him happy, like she made Jonathon happy? Could she do this?

**XXX**

_**Author's Note: **_

_**Alright my dear readers. That's it for this week; I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. **_

_**Annabeth had to meet Scarecrow eventually; so I thougt, why not now before we get into serious things and plot turns. I kind of wanted this to happen now so I can help develop Annabeth's character a bit more; I'm not sure why, but whenever the OC is just readily accepting of Scarecrow and doesn't have any fear it just irks me a bit. **_

_**Another thing: I don't normally, like ever, promote other stories like advertising. But, over the weekend I was reading around for some good Riddler/OC stories and I came across one called "The Riddler of Love" by Nicsnort. Now I know you are probably wondering why I am talking about a Riddler/OC when this is a Scarecrow/OC, but this author Nicsnort also has this really good Scarecrow/OC called "The Bookworm and the Beast". It's a really good story and she is a really good author. **_

_**Well that's all, so until next week,**_

_**-Sketch1997**_


	8. Making Eggs and Getting Drugged

**XXX**

Annabeth hummed softly to herself in a nervous tune as she fried the eggs in the pan; her black hair pulled into a messy ponytail, wearing nothing but one of Jonathon's buttons up white shirts with a pair of blue panties. It was about seven in the morning, and she was still trying to process last night.

Shortly after an hour of floor pacing and hand wringing she returned to bed next to Jonathon, and Scarecrow. Annabeth still had yet to decide what to do about her boyfriend's other side, and she knew they would have to talk about it when he woke up.

The sound of tired footsteps reached her ears and she turned, finding Jonathon staring at her from the hallway leading into her bedroom. His dark hair was messy, and he wore nothing but a loose pair of black night pants. His icy blue eyes met Annabeth's golden and they were silent; both waiting for the other to talk, to engage.

Finally, with a nervous smile he greeted with a slightly nervous voice, "Annabeth, good morning." She stared until she turned around to face the stove, turning it off she took the eggs out and placed them on a plate, "Good morning, Jonathon. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Um," She heard him take a few cautious steps into the kitchen, "actually, I think it would be best if we talked about last night-"

"Oh, we are most definitely going to talk about that," she chuckled, turning and holding out a plate of eggs, "But I got up and made breakfast for you- it would be terribly rude for you not to eat it." He stared at her for a minute or two before caving, "alright."

**XXX**

Jonathon ate the eggs very slowly, staring at Annabeth who only nibbled on toast. Finally he got the courage to observe, "You hate toast."

"Oh," she shrugged and leaned back, staring at him unnervingly, "I'm just not that hungry." Silence ensued, and he averted his eyes, _'Thanks, you bastard.'_

'**Oh Johnny,'** Scarecrow tsked in his head**, 'It isn't my fault she is like this.'**

'_I told you not to-'_

'**Alright look,'** Scarecrow was growing impatient, **'I'm tired of you giving her that puppy love look- she would have to have learned sooner or later. So get the hell over it and finish your eggs.' **Jonathon fumed silently but finished his eggs, and as he went to stand up Annabeth stopped him, "Oh no Jonathon, I will get it."

She took the plate from him and moved in the kitchen, Jonathon's gaze following her with a terrified curiosity.

'**She is up to something.'** Scarecrow noted, suspicious.

'_Yeah no shit.'_ He heard her start the water in the sink, and he noticed she started humming again softly, like she was when he got out of bed. After a few minutes, he finally got up to move in the kitchen, noticing the humming stopped.

"Annabeth?" she wasn't in there, the kitchen was empty and when he moved towards the sink he saw the dishes done and the water simply running down the drain, "Annabe- GAH!"

A needle was plunged into his neck, and he fell to his knees as whatever was in it now was in him. He turned, holding his neck, finding Annabeth standing above him holding a needle and looking terrifying.

**XXX**

"Alright," she held fast to the needle, "now we can have the conversation." She walked over to the small dining room table, pulling a chair out and sitting back wards in it as she rested her arms on the back.

"What was-"

"A mild drug." She shrugged, interrupting the question, "it is just going to help you tell me the truth and only the truth. Now, was everything you told me last night true?"

"Yes," he answered automatically as he crawled over to the counter, leaning his back against it as he stared at her.

"How long has Scarecrow been with you?"

"A long, long time."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Very. But unless you do something to aggravate or provoke him, you should be fine."

"And have I made him angry?" She asked her face emotionless.

"…Yes." He confirmed after staying quiet for a few minutes, his head tilted slightly as if he was listening to Scarecrow, "…but I think he will get over it."

"Good," she stood and checked her watch, "well, we will have to continue this conversation later. The sedative is about to take effect and I am meeting my sister Shelby at the mall."

"What-?" he blinked heavily and tried to stand; but true to her word, the sedative was already taking its toll on his mobility as she walked into the bedroom.

"Don't worry," Annabeth assured him, bending down to one knee so she could lift his head and place a pillow under it. She kissed his lips carefully, him being nearly asleep he reached up and grabbed her hand loosely, "Annie…."

"Hush," she cooed, draping a blanket over him, "just sleep, in a few hours you will be right as rain."

**XXX**

"-and mom says she is talking to dad about putting me in a private school! Can you imagine; I might be able to get normal friends!" Shelby was excitedly talking nonstop, save for the occasional bite of salad. Annabeth hummed slightly, showing she was paying attention even though she wasn't really.

"So," Shelby took another bite of salad, "how are you and your professor doing?"

"What?" she tore her attention from the child tossing a penny into a fountain, "I don't know what your mean."

"Oh please," The younger sister rolled her eyes and did a standard hair flip, "I know you are seeing him. And I know you dropped out of his classes, so you have got to be a thing. When do I get to meet him?"

"Never," Annabeth sighed, leaning back, "I just- I don't know, Shelby."

"Problems?" Shelby asked worriedly, "oh no, what's happening?"

"Nothing," Annabeth assured her, not wanting to confide in the younger DiCario, "how about we do more shopping?"

"Oh sure!"

**XXX**

"Dammit," Annabeth yanked one of the overly large shopping bags up the stairs, attempting to get them all to the top, "I won't even wear half of the shit in these bags- fucking Shelby." It was her own fault really, and she knew it- but the only way to get Shelby to drop the topic of Jonathon, was to bare herself to the horrors of shopping.

Finally she reached the top and stopped at the door, debating if she should go in or not. Jonathon's car was still there, and there were no sounds coming from inside. Annabeth sighed angrily and dropped the bags, bracing herself against the door and preparing herself to go in. Very slowly, she opened the door to the dark apartment; silence was unbelievably defining in the small space, and she tried her hardest not to breath, as not to disrupt the silence.

She took a few slow and calculated steps into the apartment, her eyes sweeping over the dark area. She slowly closed the door behind her, "Oh Jonathon darling, I'm home!" She walked in farther, trying to act natural, "Jonathon?"

"Yes sweet heart?" she twirled around quickly, her back hitting a wall as she looked up to see Jonathon standing above her, "you called?"

"Johnny-"

"Not quite, peach," he placed his hands on both sides of her face, "you see, Johnny is still asleep from that little drug you gave him- clever by the way- and I've just been sitting around! Waiting for you to get back from your little shipping trip, with your- ah, sister; so we could talk."

"Mm," he gently let his hand stoke her cheek, "you know, I don't like being lied to, at all. So, we need to work past our problems, and I've done decided that I would let you repent for your sins against me."

"My sins?" She asked incredulously, "what the hell do you mean?"

"Beg for forgiveness." He commanded, hand tightening in her hair.

"Like hell." She retorted, grabbing his shoulders and ramming her leg up, hitting him in the uh- sensitive parts. He groaned in a laugh and slid to his knees as he gripped her waist, "Oh, I knew there was a reason I like you!" He yanked her down to where she fell on her back, but she was quick to roll back, looking up at him with wide eyes, "you wanna fight, Scarecrow?"

"Repent for your sins!" he cackled as he lunged, taking her down again.

**XXX**

'_What… the hell?'_ Jonathon finally gained his senses, but almost wish he was still unconscious. Scarecrow was in control; closing the front door behind him with his hands filled with a variety of shopping bags, his face was bloodied and he had a slight limp.

'**Johnny! Welcome back to the world of the living!' **Scarecrow was happy, setting the bags down and spreading his arms wide as he exclaimed out loud, "What took you so long, old Buddy?!"

'_Scarecrow!' _

"You missed one hell of a fight! Your girl can really rumble; took a hell of a beating myself! Although she looks pretty bad herself!"

'_What the hell did you do!?'_

"Nothing!" Scarecrow insisted, but stopped when he walked around the corner and looked down at an unconscious Annabeth, "well actually…"

She was laying limp, breathing heavily and looking terrible; her body was broken and bloody, and Jonathon gained full control long enough to collapse to his knees in front of her.

"Annabeth," he whispered, inspecting her, "Annabeth please talk to me!"

"Johnny," she croaked, opening the eye that wasn't swollen, "hey baby, what's going on? I think we all are okay, me and Scarecrow. Talked things out, or well, sort of physically worked them out, but we are okay. We should be okay, just can you… can you carry me to the bed? Did Scarecrow get my bags from outside?"

"Yeah-" he picked her up with slight difficulty, feeling his own pain and soreness, "damn peach, you did one hell of a number on Scarecrow."

"Yeah," she smiled up at him, "I think it's easy for you two to forget who I really am- the daughter of a mob don. A next in line, a future leader. You both would do well to remember that, I am not a weak little girl." He laid her on the bed slowly, staring into her now dark hazel eyes, "and you tell Scarecrow if he ever goes to hit me again like he did with the vase, I will not hesitate to kill him and you."

'**DAMN.' **

'_You have really done it now.'_

"He understands." Jonathon confirmed, helping her peel of her clothes and cleaning the blood. It wasn't too bad, cuts and scrapes, a few bruises, but no broken bones.

"Tired," she murmured softly, nuzzling the pillow, "so tired." He stared for a moment longer before going about his own cleaning, until finally crawling into bed with her, "good night."

"Night Johnny," she whispered, scooting closer to him. A few minutes of silence passed before her eyes suddenly snapped open as if remembering something, "and goodnight, Scarecrow."

'**She remembered…' **Scarecrow whispered softly, feeling at peace for once because the girl lying next to them remembered him.

"He says goodnight," Jonathon whispered, listening to her breathing even out again. He stared at her, as he often did; realizing she was right. It was easy for him to forget, who she really was. It's just Annabeth never went around throwing her weight, her family name; no, she was quiet and easily melted into the background.

She was gentle, and never acting dangerous, always smiling. Always, always smiling, and it was a terribly beautiful smile. Jonathon smiled slightly at her, then frowned; she was dangerous. It was hard for her to seem dangerous; but she was, the soreness of his body was proof of that.

'**Yeah,' **Scarecrow chuckled tiredly, **'you want to see how tough she really is?'**

**Scarecrow cackled happily as he threw Annabeth into the wall; his arm was being cradled against chest, her hair was a mess. She leaned back, her chest heaving and bruises were forming around her neck, "Alright Scarecrow, is that the worst you can do?" **

"**Oh Peach," he chuckled, stalking forward, "taunt me all you want, but…" he lifted his head and his eyes darkened, "…don't ever ask me what the worst I can do is." He lunged but she was quicker, jumping to the side and grabbing his arm, pushing him into the wall she had been pushed into earlier. She snarled slightly and grabbing the book that was laying on the coffee table and slamming it into his head, causing a painful laugh-**

'_NO MORE!'_ Jonathon groaned, pulling Annabeth close as he left the memory,_ 'I get it! I get it!'_

'**Wimp.'**

**XXX**

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Guys- oh my god. This chapter for some damn reason was just hard for me to write, so I am sorry if it is not up to usual standards. Now that we got meeting Scarecrow out of the way, we can focus on the rest of the story. Although I will warn you, this story is mainly going to be about setting the scene for Jonathon and Annabeth. I have a sequel for this story, and a sequel to that one, and another sequel and another… you get the point. **_

_**I have an important question that needs to be answered: would you guys rather have two small chapters a week or one large one? I just know the pains of waiting for a new chapter (especially when there is no set update day) so I want to try and accommodate you guys. I need at least one review for this chapter telling me what you want, so guys, come on. **_

_**And another question, how would you guys feel about a prequel for this story? Like a series of one shots surrounding Annabeth growing up, but it will be placed in the Gotham category. Like it will show her interacting with Falcone more and Fish and Penguin and them**_

_**Also, I want to let you know so there is no confusion, Annabeth is not entirely for the idea of Scarecrow. I know I mentioned earlier that I don't like it when the OC automatically loves him, so I will give it time. When the point of view is more shaped to her angle, you guys will see she still has her doubts.**_

_**Anyways, until next week,**_

_**-Sketch1997**_


	9. Comatose and Unanswered Questions

**Special Thanks to Cholestone, jumpmagicjump, Windblazer Prime and FanFictionGirl100 for following this story.**

**And a special thanks to Windblazer Prime for favoring it.**

**Review Responses**

**APieceOfThePuzzle: I am so sorry about his name spelling; it just when I type out his name it's so common for me to spell it with an O that I don't even catch it, but your review has reminded me and I promise to make an effort to correct it from now on. I'm glad you like my story; it makes me happy when people tell me they like it. And as for the chapter review: I'm glad you saw Annabeth as a badass. My thing is that when you get around someone, you generally forget things like who their parents are and things like that or that sort of thing, and I wanted Jonathan to kind of forget 'oh, Annabeth isn't some random person who only owns a can of pepper spray, she can actually hold her own'. **

**XXX**

"I love Tom Riddle."

It was that tiny sentence from Annabeth that started it. Jonathan and Scarecrow were offended she liked him, it simply annoyed them both for some reason.

"Oh?" He asked, trying to disguise the jealous hurt in his voice, "why? He's the bad guy."

"So what if he is the bad guy," she shrugged, "he's absolutely adorable; an evil and creepy adorable, but a lovable villain all the same."

"There is no such thing as a lovable villain!" Jonathan exclaimed, no longer trying to mask the hurt. He grabbed the empty cups of tea and walked swiftly out of the room, leaving Annabeth to watch her silly movie alone.

"…stupid….Riddle… what kind of last name is that… and Tom… so mundane…" He furiously was scrubbing the inside of the tea cups, using far too much force then necessary. This wasn't like him, this was irrational- this Tom Riddle was only a fictional character. There was no way she could love Riddle more than she loved him- right?

"Johnny," he stopped drying his hands, but didn't have a chance to turn around; Annabeth wrapped her arms around his back and buried her face in his shirt, "Are you jealous?"

"What?" he unclasped her arms and turned, staring down at her with what he hoped was convincing dis belief, "Me- jealous of a fictional character? That, is plain ridiculous; you couldn't love a fiction character more than a real man."

"…." She stared at him with a small smile and after a few moments of awkward silence smile, "uh, yeah! That would be just weird, loving something…. _Fake…_it would be so ridiculous!"

With that she swiftly walked out, her eyes down cast and cheeks burning.

'What's with peach?' Scarecrow asked, observing her odd behavior; she was acting almost embarrassed.

'_No idea.'_ Jonathan answered, raising an eye brow as he leaned back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, _'you wanna find out?'_

'_Of course.'_

**XXX**

Annabeth sat on the couch, watching the credits of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"; trying to hide her burning cheeks by keeping her knees pulled against her chest. God it was so embarrassing…. She knew if Jonathan found out what she was….

"Peach~!" Annabeth turned to find Jonathan- no, Scarecrow- come waltzing out of the kitchen, stalking towards her with a sly smirk, "So a little birdy told me that you have a love for a certain fictional character…"

"I don't know what you are talking about." She was completely poker faced, staring at her boyfriend's counterpart, "I only love you, and Johnny."

"Oh," he was now sitting right next to her, playing with her hair, "that's not what I heard…"

"Well then you heard wrong…" she defended, looking away and hiding her burning cheeks; she gasped when he yanked her under him, him smiling, "I don't think so…. Now, what are you hiding?"

"Scarecrow," she sighed, looking away, "I'm…."

"Yes?"

"A fangirl." She finished, looking up with embarrassment.

**XXX**

"What?"

"A fangirl."

"What… is that?"

"In the Webster dictionary-"

"It's an actual term!?"

"-is an obsessive female fan, usually of movies, comic books, or science fiction." She finished; Scarecrow leaned back and stared at her with a complex expression, "….is that it?"

"Yeah."

"Damn, and here I was hoping it was something good." Scarecrow blinked for a moment and the blue in his eyes lightened, signaling Jonathan's return, "so… that is really it. Just, why was it such a big deal?"

"I just didn't know how you would react."

"Well," he stared at her, not getting the big deal, but deciding to play along, "anything else I should know?"

"How much do you really know about me?"

"I know you uh…" he thought, of course he knew things about her. Right? "I know you like pizza."

"What kind?"

"Pepperoni." He answered immediately, smiling.

"Wrong." She stated, deadpanned, "the answer is cheese; and I also like Chinese takeout, and mountain dew."

"Alright." He was a little ticked at missing the question, "anything else I should know?"

"My favorite color is blue," she said after thinking for a moment, "I like pie, but not cake, and never apple pie; and I hate Pepsi, but love coke. Anything I should know about you?"

"How much do you know?" he asked, not amused and quickly losing patience. Annabeth smiled and leaned forward, gently pushing him back to lay on the couch so she could straddle him; she leaned down and slowly kissed his jaw, "I know everything about you, dear."

"Oh?"

"Yes," she chuckled and he shuddered slightly at her tone, "I am a daughter of the mob; I found everything there is to know about you- from your first day in kinder garden to right now, it's all accessible to me."

"That's a little creepy." He stated softly, wrapping his arms around her waist, "but… how much do you know?"

'**Does she know about the toxin?'** Scarecrow asked, slightly worried.

'_I have no idea. But I am trying to find out.'_ Jonathan answered. He stared up at Annabeth as she seemed to ponder something; a few moments passed until she looked down evenly into his eyes and said, "How about I ask you first; is there anything you need to tell me?"

Her hands roamed his chest and her eyes were cold; there wasn't much to tell her. He was unnerved about how he knew so little of her, but she seemed to know everything about him. She knew about his involvement of toxin, this much was certain; but how she felt about it, he had no idea. How she found out, there was no telling; but the only thing that mattered was she _did_ know, and she was just waiting for him to admit it, to tell her.

"I…" he swallowed; it shouldn't be this hard to tell her. She accepted Scarecrow, didn't she? So she should easily accept the fact of his making toxin, and testing it out on students, "Annie, I am in the process of making this… medicine, that helps people, overcome their greatest fears."

"Ah," she nodded and shifted slightly, causing him to groan and tighten his hands around her waist as she continued, "so in order to complete this _medicine_ you have had to purchase a large amount of illegal drugs, test it out on unwilling students, and have lost way to much sleep over it. And you didn't even feel the need to share this information with me; just like the fact that you had Scarecrow chilling in your head."

"You are involved in illegal activities a thousand times worse than me!" Jonathan protested, glaring up at her.

"Well yes," she admitted, smiling sweetly, "but you knew about that from the moment I walked into you class room, didn't you? I've never lied to you; all my skeletons are out for you to see, but you have felt the need to lie to me. That hurts Johnny; that really hurts me."

This started out fun, a teasing little game; but now it was a battle ground. She was angry, he was angry; and everyone knew that their "perfect relationship" had to end eventually, every relationship had its problems, and it was time for their problems to come to light.

"You don't honestly expect me to believe that you don't keep anything from me-"

**RING**

They both turned to Annabeth's phone, and both groaned. Annabeth stood up and grabbed her phone, snarling as she picked it up, "What?!" She listened for a few moments before her annoyed expression turned to one of horror, "what- I'm on my way, no! Don't go anywhere, just stay right there- no of course take her to the hospital- but tell no one where you are going!" She snapped the phone shut and looked to Jonathan tiredly, "I have to go."

"Why?" he challenged, standing with her as she grabbed her coat, "what happened?"

"My mother," she stopped suddenly and her eyes clouded over slightly as tears threatened to spill, "something happened. I'm now headed to Gotham Memorial to find out what it was- any other questions?" He stared at her for a few moments, "I- would you like me to come with you?"

"No."

**XXX**

"What?" Annabeth stared at her mother, who lay in the hospital bed unmoving. Her father sat next to her with a tired expression, "I don't know. I just- Angelica found her lying in the garden, not moving. The doctors said they don't know what's wrong and I just-" He choked back a sob and Annabeth felt a piece of her heart break; her father, the strongest man she knew, was sitting here crying.

"Annie-" Shelby ran forward, sobbing into her older sisters shoulder; soon followed by Evelin and Angelica. The three younger sisters cried while the eldest held them all close, trying to fight her own tears.

"It's okay," she softly reassured them, although she had plenty of doubts herself, "It will all be okay."

**XXX**

Three in the morning eventually rolled around and Annabeth slowly climbed the stairs to her apartment. She had finally managed to break away; being in the same room as her crying family and comatose mother just depressed her.

She walked into the apartment to be greeted by silence and she blinked, realizing she hadn't seen Jonathon's car when she came in. Just to be sure though, she walked through the apartment- confirming her suspicion that it was empty.

"Well alrighty then." She growled, stomping to her room and slamming the door shut for no apparent reason. She ignored the empty feeling in her gut and took a shower, the scalding water burning her skin but she ignored the pain.

Once she got out she dressed in nothing but a white tank top and panties, crawling into bed with still wet hair and burning skin as she covered up with the cold and comforting blanket. Tears slowly started to run down her face; angry at Jonathan not being here, hopeless because of her father, unbearable loneliness at possibly losing her mother.

She lay there for an hour, debating on whether or not she should call Jonathan. Finally she sighed angrily and stood, grabbing a loose pair of night pants and braiding her hair; walking quickly out of her bedroom after grabbing her robe. She snatched her phone off the counter, practically prancing to the front door and yanking it open, running down the stairs.

Jonathan- thankfully- lived only ten minutes away; so Annabeth made sure to grab her gun and leg it to his house. Running, it took about six minutes, and she thankfully made it without running into anyone. She walked into his warm apartment building and climbed the stairs; he lived on the third floor, and she was standing in front of his door way all too soon.

She had a key, naturally, and was debating on walking in or knocking. Eventually, she decided what the hell, and walked right in. His apartment was nice, although she had been in it before, she couldn't help but marvel that it was so nice.

But now wasn't the time; instead she simply walked to where she knew his bedroom was, surprised to see the door open instead of close. She slowly went to stand in the door way, seeing him lay in bed with his arms folded behind him, eyes closed and breathing even.

Using the stealth of an assassin, she crept forward, dropping her robe, sliding off her sandals and silently putting down her keys and phone. She moved to the side of his bed, and slowly peeled back his covers as se slid in next to him. Ever so gently, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his; gasping in surprise when his arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer.

"I love you; and I am sorry." He whispered, his voice was tired and slightly drunk; she tasted scotch, "is everything alright with your family?"

"Later," she mumbled nuzzling her face into his neck, "for now, just shut up and hold me."

**XXX**

"-And hold me." She demanded of him softly, pressing her lips to his neck.

"Very well." Jonathan was happy to comply; he always felt like he was going to lose when it came to Annabeth, and he didn't feel like having to fight with her.

In fact, he was happy for more than just avoiding the argument; he was happy she came to him for once.

Whenever there had been a fight, whether large or a minor, he had been the one to patch it up. He always went to her and smoothed over everything; this time instead of him going to her apartment (which he was seriously close to doing) and getting into her bed, she came to his.

"Annabeth," he began as he realized something, "did you walk here in your night clothes?"

"Yeah," she answered, almost asleep as she slowly rubbed her legs against his.

"That was stupid." Scarecrow informed her, and Jonathan couldn't help but agree, "what were you thinking? You could have been hurt, mugged or raped or-"

"Boys," she sighed, cutting off their lecture, "I was thinking that I couldn't sleep without you. And, I was armed… and lonely." She looked up at him and he felt his heart stop- she was giving him those eyes. The puppy eyes, large and glittery hazel eyes, her bottom lip jutting out slightly as she whimpered.

"Alright, just… don't ever do something like that again." Another thing Jonathan couldn't do was stay angry at her; aggravated, yes but not angry.

**XXX**

"So that's it then." Annabeth stared at the three doctors, her foot tapping impatiently with her arms crossed, "none of you can tell me what wrong with my mom. Only that she isn't waking up."

"Well-"one of the doctors, a small pudgy man who was practically bald, "we have ran blood work and-"

"- Multiple tests-"the second doctor, middle aged tall and skinny woman with a grey pixie bob, "and we just can't-"

"-figure it out." Finished the third doctor, a tall and wide man with a mess of grey hair, "we will do everything we can Miss DiCario." Annabeth snarled under her breath as she turned around and stormed down the hall way back to where she knew her mother lay comatose.

"Mom," she sighed, sitting on the chair by her mother's bed, "you picked one hell of a time to go quiet- you could have given me a bit of warning."

**XXX**

**So, hope you enjoyed this week's chapter; I tried to make it a little longer because last week's wasn't as long as usual. Originally at the end Annabeth's oldest brother made an appearance, but after looking at it for a couple hours I just was like, "Nah, we can get to him later…. Or never…."**

**So… yeah… Happy Early Halloween guys, and make sure to look out on Halloween because I have a little extra chapter I'm posting then. So, until then!**

**-Sketch1997**


	10. Halloween

**Halloween Special #1**

**ATTENTION! There are two specials in this chapter! #1 Is just what could have happened; but directly after this one is what DID happen in the story; so enjoy!**

**XXX**

"-you look beautiful," Jonathan whispered, staring at Annabeth in her black baby doll night gown, smiling with her hair fall in soft waves down her back. She smiled and stalked forward with a mischievous glint in her eye, "are you sure you want to do this right now? It's only seven, and its Halloween night; I would have figured this was you and Scarecrows favorite holiday…"

"Oh it is, peach," Scarecrow promised with a purr, leaning forward, "and this is exactly how we want to spend it."

"If you say so," she sat on his lap and ran her hands through his hair, "well-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Coming!" Annabeth called, getting off of him as she held up a finger, "one moment dears." She grabbed her blue robe off the back of the couch and walked quickly to the door, pulling a gun out from behind the coat rack as she peaked out the peep hole.

Jonathan huffed under his breath and crossed his arms when she opened the door and opened the door, a loud cry of "TRICK OR TREAT" came from outside. He could hear Annabeth cooing about how great their costumes were and he rolled his eyes as he turned and saw a bunch of princesses and superheroes crowded right outside the door.

Annabeth had at some point traded her weapon for a bowl of assorted candy- ah, that's why she was so popular, she was giving out full sized candy bars. She sent them on their way and shut the door, turning to smile at him, "Where were we…."

"I'm sure you can catch up," he smiled and she started to walk back to him; both Jonathan and Scarecrow were happy to have her attention again. She smiled at him and took back off her robe, placing the bowl of candy by the couch while suggesting, "Well maybe you can catch me up-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"**Dammit!" **Scarecrow cursed, leaning back as she stood back up and walked to the door, equipped with both her robe and the candy.

'**Maybe we should turn off the porch light.' **Scarecrow snarled quietly.

'_Or we could test out the prototype toxin.'_ Jonathan smiled as she closed the door.

'**Johnny!' **Scarecrow sounded scandalized.

"One more moment dear," Annabeth purred as she walked into the kitchen.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Could you get that?" Annabeth called from the kitchen, her voice soft and pleading. Jonathan rolled his eyes and picked up the bowl of candy, muttering under his breath as he opened the door.

"Trick or Treat…" he looked down to see a small boy, dressed as…. The Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. Jonathan blinked stared for a moment, "why are you in that costume?"

"He's my favorite character…" the boy explained, shifting nervously as he held out his orange plastic pumpkin.

"Here," Jonathan ended up giving him half the bowl, smiling as the boy danced down the step going, "Mom! Dad! The nice people said they like my costume and gave me lots of candy!" Annabeth walked out of the apartment slightly and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist, smiling at the little Scarecrow running down to the average looking couple.

"Still annoyed with the trick or treaters?" she whispered as the boy walked away, turning up to stare into his blue eyes as he answered, "Everyone but him; the kid's got good taste in Halloween costumes."

She smiled and led them back in; Jonathan stopped at the door way and stared at the living room. A mass of blankets and pillows were moved into the living room, a pile of movies sitting on the coffee table and the dvd player open and waiting for a movie.

"Yeah," Annabeth laughed softly when he turned to her, "I don't think we are getting our activity time, so until the time comes when we won't get any other kids, I suggest we eat Chinese and watch horror movies." He stared at her for a moment, "but we don't have Chinese food."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Mr. Chang's Chinese!" A young boy's voice rang from the other side of the door and Annabeth laughed a little, "Amazing! I ordered like no more than ten minutes ago!"

**XXX**

Annabeth was slightly worried; worried that she had upset Jonathan. She knew that there would be endless trick or treaters; and she knew they would not get time alone. Hell, even putting candy outside would have been stupid; this is Gotham, people would have stolen the bowl- and Annabeth liked her bowl.

So, she decided to do the only thing she could do was have a horror movie night with Chinese food; and later they could get to the sex. So far, it was going great; Jonathan was enjoying the fear on the victim's faces, and Annabeth was enjoying the sweet and sour chicken.

She sat next to him on the floor, a cocoon of pillows and blankets wrapped around them with blankets surrounding them; Jonathan had an arm wrapped around Annabeth's waist and the other held a glass a wine, while Annabeth had a box of chicken and rice as she smiled at his laughter.

"This is unbelievable." Jonathan stared at the woman running through the forest on the screen, "We all know there was a high way above that other ridge- but she has decided to stick to the forest! I swear."

Annabeth laughed and pressed her lips to his shoulder, "It's just a movie, dear. We all know horror movie people are idiots, don't take such personal offense to it." He scoffed and muttered under his breath about the horror genre being butchered; Annabeth just laughed and smiled at his happy face when the idiot blonde died.

**XXX**

"Happy Halloween," Annabeth whispered, running her hand over his own when he groaned softly and pressed his lips into her hair, "Happy Halloween, Peach.

**XXX**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXHalloween Special #2 (What really Happened, enjoy)**

**XXX**

"But someone has to take me!" Angelica whined, her large green eyes started to tear as she stared at her oldest sister. Annabeth grimaced slightly, tonight was supposed to be her and Jonathan's night; surely someone else in the very large DiCario family could take her trick or treating?

"Angie," Annabeth dropped to one knee and placed her hands on the young girl's shoulders, "can't Shelby or Chris takes you? I was going to spend tonight with Jonathan; I'm sure if you were to ask Shelby-"

"No!" Annabeth glowered in the direction of the kitchen where the sound of Shelby's voice came; sure enough, she came around the corner moments after, dressed as a cat, and equipped with a scowl, "I'm going to a Halloween party at one of the guard's dorms. You have to take her."

"Chris-"

"No!" Chris came down the stairs, dressed in a suit, "I'm going to a party at the Iceberg Lounge with Dad. You have to take her."

"Dad-"

"I'm sorry Princess," Her father followed Chris down the stairs, wearing his own suit, "But I need this; your mother would have taken Angie, but she's…" Annabeth glowered at the floor, cursing her mother's timing to go comatose.

"You also have to take the triplets!" Her father called over his shoulder as he closed the front door.

"But-"

**XXX**

Jonathan smiled as he skimmed through one of his journals, excited for tonight. Annabeth said she had a surprise for them, and he couldn't wait.

'**I love her surprises…'** Scarecrow cooed, happily relaxing in the back of Jonathan's head.

'_I know; I love them too,'_ Jonathan answered, his face rising when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned when the door opened, slightly lowering his book and smiling, "Annie-"

"I'm sorry," she cut him off, her face apologetic as she opened the door; four children, two boys and two girls.

One boy was dressed as a ninja; his bright hazel eyes peeking out from the small slit in the face mask and Jonathan could see some curly red hair as well; and the other boy was identical, with the exception his outfit was white instead of black.

One girl was dress as a ballerina, pink tutu and all, and she had bright red hair that was pulled into a bun and hazel eyes bright; the other was Tinkerbell, with bright green eyes and wild red hair.

"This is Aiden, Arthur and Evelyn, the triplets," she introduced the first three, the ninjas and the ballerina, all had red curly hair and Annabeth's eyes; then she gestured to the other girl, Tinkerbell, who had green eyes and red hair, "this is Angelica."

"Uh…."

"Hi!" All the triplets shouted at once, large grins on their faces; the littlest, Angelica, just shyly hid behind Annabeth.

"I have to take them trick or treating and you are coming with me." Annabeth smiled tiredly, "Everyone else chickened out."

"Oh," Jonathan blinked, he wasn't good with little children, and Scarecrow most certainly was not either, "But-"

"We have to take them to dinner first, I was thinking McDonalds. Let's go," she grabbed his coat and pulled him out, "Annie I am not really comfortable with-"

"If I have to suffer then so do you."

**XXX**

And suffer he did. They were well behaved, until Annabeth gave them candy- then it was hell. Jonathan currently was standing under a rather large oak tree with his eyes narrowed, lips thinned, hand on his hips while tapping a foot against the ground.

"Boys!" he shouted, looking up to the two ninjas that were sitting on a low branch, "get down here, right now!"

"Nope! Come and get us String bean!"

"Stop calling me that!" Scarecrow snarled, gripping the lowest branch and pulling them up, thanking Jonathan for dressing in a black t-shirt and jeans. He slowly made his climb, and the boy's faces paled when he got to their branch and Jonathan smiled, "Boo."

"Don't look behind you." Both boys commanded at the same time; naturally, Jonathan turned around and automatically regretted it; a large fat chipmunk sat on the branch behind him, eyeing him suspiciously and Jonathan gulped, "oh shit."

XXX

"Jonathan?" Annabeth stared down at her boyfriend, who was covered in tiny scratches and had tousled hair, "Dear… what happened?"

"Chipmunk, peach, it was a possessed chipmunk." He whispered softly, his blue eyes held a distant look as he shuddered and Annabeth turned to the two boys, "what did you do to him?"

"Nothing!" Aiden promised, raising his hands; Arthur just shuddered, "I am never climbing a tree again."

"Okay, Johnny," Annabeth helped her brothers up and gently pushed Angelica forward, "You just take Angie… I'll take the triplets."

**XXX**

"Hey," Jonathan looked down to the little fairy, and he saw her shyly peeking out from her curly bangs, "can I go to that house?" He looked to the house and shrugged, "Sure. You want me to go with you?"

"No thanks," she walked towards a group of kids, "I'll just go with them."

'This is my favorite.' Scarecrow commented softly as they watched with diligent eyes, making sure no harm came to Annabeth's youngest sister.

"Ready for the next house?"

"Yeah."

They walked down the road a bit more and came to the last house, one that was designed to scare kids. Jonathan smirked, but it soon disappeared when he saw Angelica shrink and whimper, "Hey- are you okay?"

"Can you come with me?" She asked softly, looking up at him with large green eyes; Jonathan hesitated, not really wanting to be the one she clung to when she got scared. He liked causing fear, not soothing it.

"Sure…" he answered after a moment's hesitation and slowly followed her to the house. They made it to the door okay- and it looked like they were home free- until the werewolf jumped out. Angelica screamed and clung to Jonathan, who not expecting the werewolf, threw a candy bag out to it and hit it in the head.

He picked a crying Angelica and glared at the werewolf like a scolding parent, "What is your problem? Can't you see she is just a little girl- you idiotic little boy- next time check before you scare someone!" He stomped off with Angelica still clung to him, just sniffling slightly as he carried her to the end of the block. He set her down and looked her over; sighing in relief when he realized she looked unharmed, "are you alright?"

"Yeah-"she whimpered; her green eyes watered as she looked into his eyes, "can we find Annie now?"

"Alright," he immediately consented, standing up and automatically closing his large hand around her small one when she reached for it. They walked down the streets and hit multiple dead ends; it was growing darker and he sighed in relief when he got a call, "yeah?"

"Johnny," Annabeth sounded pissed, "can you meet us at the candy apple stand at the park on Madison? We had a little problem while going door to door; and I might kill someone if I go back."

"We'll see you in a little while," he agreed and shut the phone; he turned down to the little girl, "Great news Angelica, we know where your sister is and are going to meet her."

"Angie," she whispered softly, still looking slightly teary, "everyone calls me Angie."

"Okay," He ended up carrying her; Angelica's eyes started to droop half-way there, no doubt from walking around so much and also coming off the sugar high. He smiled slightly when he saw Annie, "Hey."

"There was this punk kid with a werewolf mask who jumped out-" she growled, leaning against The car; Jonathan notice the triplets asleep in the back as she continued, "He scared Evelyn, and then Arthur and Aiden attacked him and it was a fiasco and they are practically swimming in candy."

**XXX**

"Here," Annabeth opened the door to the Angie's room silently; Jonathan gently placed her on the bed and waited in the hall way for Annabeth to finish tucking her in. He was surprised when she asked him to come to her family's house; it was huge, and Jonathan couldn't help but feel slightly worried, what if they ran into some of the more dangerous family members? Before his hopes of escaping were too large a voice from the end of the hall way broke his dreams:

"Who the fuck are you?"

**XXX**

**HA! And that is where I leave you all until the next weekly update! This is the actual version of what happened on Halloween in this story; the other is just a little alternate version. This chapter was just supposed to be you saw Jonathan interact with some of Annie's younger siblings, but because I am evil and I liked the way this tied in with the next chapter, I decided to go with this. **

**Anyways, I love you all, and will update on schedule next week. **


	11. Completed Toxin

**Thank you to RosaliaThorn and ShyxSkater for following Beautiful Lie.**

**Thank you to Crazything24 and Ghouly-Girl for favoring Beautiful lie.**

**Lilies and Bobcats: Thanks for your feedback! I tried to make the Halloween special as cute as possible, using my own trick or treating babysitting experiences. **

**XXX**

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Uh," Jonathan turned to find a man standing at the end of the hall way; a man with jet black hair that was pulled back into a low pony tail and fell just past his shoulders, dark and stormy green eyes, tall and muscly, yeah Jonathan was a bit worried, "I'm Jonathan Crane."

"Oh-" he stopped a few paces a way, crossing his arms and his glare turning into a scowl, "you're the nerd dating my niece."

'_Nerd?!' _Scarecrow exclaimed.

'_Scarecrow don't do anything stupid-'_

'**HE CALLED US A NERD'**

'_Well we are kind of-'_

'**DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT'**

'…_Nerdy.'_

'**YOU ARE THE NERD- NOT ME! I AM THE COOL GUY THAT EVERYONE LOVES AND FEARS! I'LL MAKE THIS** **WEAKLING GROVEL AT OUR FEET!'**

'_DON'T-'_

"Well I would rather be a nerd then a steroid using hippie." Scarecrow stated plainly, crossing his own arms and staring at the now surprised man.

'_What…have you done- we are so dead.'_ Jonathan was mortified at his companion, _'we didn't even get to complete the toxin and you have killed us-'_

"I like you!" the man exclaimed suddenly, his booming laughter shaking the hallway.

"Pardon?"

"You got bite, kid." He laughed, "I'm Bob, little Annie's uncle! It's great to meet you; Annie has been going on and on about how great you are but she didn't bother to ever bring you by!"

"What the hell is going on out here?" Annabeth walked out of Angie's room, her voice in an angry whisper, "you almost woke her up!"

"Sorry Annie," Bob laughed, patting Jonathan's back, "I gotta say, I am liking this one! He's hilarious!"

"Oh," she looked to him suddenly, staring at her boyfriend with a look filled with fear and admiration; she turned her attention back to her uncle and cleared her throat as she took a step closer to Jonathan, "Well, Uncle Bob, what are you doing home? You are supposed to be in Egypt; or did something happen?"

"I need my big brother," he said with a nod, "Where is he?"

"Iceberg lounge with the oldest brat." She answered immediately and he smiled, "alright then. Wonderful seeing my you again dear, and it was a pleasure meeting you Jonathan!"

**XXX**

"Wait- so if your Uncle Bob was in Egypt, then how did he know you were talking about me at your home?"

"What." She looked at him sharply, her eyes narrowed, "what did he say?"

"That you were always talking about me…" he answered hesitantly, looking down and Annabeth sighed before closing her eyes and letting her head fall against Jonathan's passenger side window, "I do talk about you; and gossip must have spread over seas through the family- I bet it was Shelby. I will kill her I swear to God."

He chuckled softly and pulled into her drive way, "We can talk more about it later; let's just go to bed."

"But I don't wanna go to bed…" she whined softly, walking up the stairs as she clutched Jonathan's arm. She looked up pleadingly at him, her lip jutting out slightly as she pouted; Jonathan laughed, "alright then, maybe we could have a little fun…?"

"Oh yes," she teased softly, walking a little ahead of him and stopping in the door way; she turned and let a playful smirk fall on her lips as her eyes flickered a little below his belt, "a _little_." His mouth fell open and she laughed as she walked the rest of the way into the apartment; leaving him stunned.

'**WE ARE NOT LI-'**

'_It would seem she needs to be punished.'_

He closed his mouth and closed the door behind him, following her into the apartment and into the living room. He hadn't realized how long he had been standing out there, but Annabeth was not laying on the couch in a tank top and shorts, flipping through the channels with a bored expression, "Oh? Took you long enough."

He kicked off his shoes and removed his jacket as he came to stand infront of her, "are you ready?"

"Ready- ready for what, exactly?"

"Why your punishment of course," he stated like it was obvious, climbing on top of her and grinning, "you insulted us, and Scarecrow wants revenge for that comment."

"Bring it on, _string bean._"

**XXX**

"And what do you say?" Jonathan asked with a smirk on his face. He and Annabeth lay in bed, she half way on top of him as she let her breathing slow, "what?"

"Scarecrow wants an apology," he explained softly, tracing patterns on her back.

"I'm sorry," she growled, her nails slightly digging into his chest, "for insulting you, oh high and mighty Scarecrow."

"Apology Accepted," Scarecrow confirmed, "Night Peach."

**XXX**

"It's done."

The vile was filled with white liquid; not green like Scarecrow predicted. It didn't look deadly, it looked ever so innocent just sitting there.

'_We need to test it.' _

'**Which student should we use?'**

"It's done?" Jonathan jumped slightly and turned; Annabeth sat on one of the counter tops of his lab as she watched them with the eyes of a hawk, "you completed it?"

"Yes," he confirmed, turning back to it with his lips pressed in a thin line, "Scarecrow and I were just wondering which student would have the honor of being the first test subject of the completed toxin."

"…I'll do it."

"Come again?" He turned around and noted she was standing directly in front of him; her arms were crossed and her gaze didn't waver as she stated, "test it out on me."

'**Is this another one of her tests?' **

'_I don't know.'_

'**Well if it is don't fail it; she gets all moody when you do.'**

'_Now see here-'_

"You are zoning out again." Annabeth cupped his cheek and brought him out of his mind, "Dear, you tell me that this toxin is to better people; to help them overcome their greatest fears and help them pass their limits. I want to go beyond all my childish fears; and if a little bit of toxin and hallucinations will help me then so be it. And if you haven't noticed I like trying new things."

"I've noticed." He narrowed his eyes and pulled her a bit closer as Scarecrow came into play, "Peach, this could damage your mental state beyond help; do you want to go crazy?"

"We're all a little crazy," she answered softly, smiling at the man she loved.

**XXX**

"Now I have an antidote," he warned her softly as he tied one of her feet to the posts, "But I don't know if it will work.

"I can handle it." She sighed, testing the bonds, "You know Johnny, when we finish testing the toxin, I think you and I could put these ropes to good use."

'_**God I love her.'**_ Both thought when their hands stilled and looked at her sharply. She wiggled her feet and smiled mischievously at him, "are you alright boys?"

He didn't answer but finished tying her last limb; climbing on top of her and capturing her lips. She moaned softly and strained against the ropes, struggling slightly as she broke away, "are we going to test the toxin or what?"

He snarled lowly and pulled back, "fine. But when we are done experimenting you are going to be punished for making me wait."

"Ooh," she laughed nervously as she eyed the needle, "I love your punishments."

"What's wrong Annie?" Scarecrow taunted softly as he waved the needle in front of her eyes, "afraid of needles?"

"Terrified." She answered dry and deadpanned. He let the corner of his mouth twitch as he placed it above her vein, "ready?"

"Yes! God will you just do it already!" She sighed impatiently, averting her eyes and he held his breath as he let the needle sink into her soft flesh and the toxin into her blood stream.

**XXX**

"GOD NO- GET THEM OFF OF ME!" Scarecrow held Annabeth's thrashing form on the bed despratley, cursing himself for using her as the first test subject. She had been screaming for the past hour about giant bugs, needles, fire, drowning, typical fears.

"GOD PLEASE-" She sobbed. It seemed to be slowing down, she was certainly calming slightly as she found closing her eyes broke the images. But only temporarily, they always had a habit of creeping into her brain- he could tell because her eyes would randomly shoot open as a fresh scream would tear from her throat.

"Fuck it." Scarecrow growled, grabbing the antidote and jabbing the needle in the side of her neck; he sighed in relief when she stilled considerably and consisted of nothing but whimpers. She slowly opened her eyes and they met Jonathan's as she softly whispered, "Johnny?"

"It's alright Peach," he hushed her, wiping away the tears that accumulated, "It's all over; you can rest now."

"Hold me?" she begged; he immediately consented, not seeing why he couldn't, and crawled into bed next to her. She had already, in the throes of terror, managed to break her bonds; so he just held her and soothed her, whispering sweet things in her ear, "you did great peach; you scream so beautifully, even when your crying your so, so beautiful."

"I don't want to sleep, can we go to the couch?" He picked her up easily, carrying her into the living room bridal style and sitting on the couch with as they watched light television and listened to the rain.

"Would you like to hear a story?" Anything to take her mind off of the toxin at this moment, anything to distract her from her fears.

"Sure," she answered softly, turning to where she rested her head in the crook of her neck and played with his hands.

"Would you like to hear a story?" Jonathon smiled down at her as he played with her hair, having easy reached seeing as she was practically sitting on his lap. They were in the living room, the soft glow of the television illuminating their shadows as rain softly fell outside.

"Sure," she had said returning the smile as she relaxed in his hold.

"_**There is a beautiful place, far away from the reach of mortals," **_he began softly, his blue eyes taking on a distant glow,_** "a place where the dead find peace. Mountains, streams, rivers, flowers and old oak trees perfect for climbing; and it was ruled by two beings: Life and Death.**_

"_**Life was a beautiful young woman, with soft ivory skin, long sky blue hair and always wore a light purple dress.**_

"_**Death was a mysterious and terrifying creature, with deathly pale skin, long black as night hair, antlers, and long talons and always wore a black jacket with the hood pulled up.**_

"_**One day, Life and Death were sitting with one another under an old oak tree overlooking the main valley, watching the people mull around below.**_

""_**Death?" Life had asked softly as birds landed around her, "why do people love me, but hate you?" Death stood as all but one bird with an injured wing scattered. **_

""_**Because," Death sighed as he reached down and picked up the bird gently with his talons, "you are a beautiful lie, while I am a painful truth.""**_

"Wow," Annabeth murmured as she rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, "never knew you could be so deep Hon."

"Annie," he chuckled lowly as he pressed his face into her hair, "if you are going to make a sarcastic remark at the end every story then I won't tell you any more…"

"No!" She gasped, "I'll be good, I promise!"

"Do you promise to never leave me?" He murmured, his ice blue eyes staring into her hazel as she answered, "till death do us part, Hon."

**XXX**

"What did the story mean?" she asked later; they had stayed up all night, but now they lay in the bed, their limbs tangled as they listened to their own heart beats, "the one about life and death?"

"Well," he thought for a moment, "Life seems beautiful, and is celebrated by practically all. But in the end, it is nothing but a Beautiful Lie, because no matter what you do or who you become, you will eventually be greeted by Death.

"Death is ugly to many, misunderstood and avoided at all costs. But in the end, Death conquers all, and is unavoidable, a Painful Truth that no matter how hard you try it's unavoidable."

"So no matter how hard we try," she concluded, we all must accept the Horrible Truth."

"Yes."

"Well, for the moment," she looked up and smiled, "I wish to live this Beautiful Lie; and one day, when I'm old and grey, I will accept Death as an old friend, an Undeniable Truth."

**XXX**

_**KAY! We are done for this chapter. Don't have anything to say, nothing really going on. So, I will see you all next week my Beautiful Reviewers!**_

_**Sketch1997**_


	12. Canadians

**Special Thanks to EffyinNeverland, tmjay10 and makeyouloveme for following Beautiful Lie;**

**As well as a special thanks to makeyouloveme for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Marie (Guest): Thanks for your review; I don't plan on stopping this story any time soon, so don't worry.**

**XXX**

"But I don't want to go to the deal with the Bleists!' Annabeth was mature, she was the oldest. But she did have her moments; like right now, when she had her arms crossed and was stomping her foot with an angry pout on her face.

"Annabeth," her father started, rubbing his hand, "We need the drugs coming in with their drugs; while we have a prior agreement with them, it would be best if we send some insurance there-"

"AND WE NEED A PRETTY FACE TO SEAL THE DEAL!" Chris yelled from the other room, interrupting their conversation in their father's study.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING ON ABOUT CHRIS!" Uncle Bob shouted from somewhere in the house, "YOU ARE GOING WITH HER!"

"DAMMIT!"

"Annabeth," her father sighed, sitting in the chair, "It's either you do this deal or you do the accounting for the family since your mother-" he choked up and looked down, hiding his face and reminding Annabeth of a horrible truth.

Christopher DiCario was aging, he was getting old. The years were taking their toll, and his wife being comatose added another ten. He was only human, only mortal, and he would die eventually; then that would leave Annabeth to lead the family.

"I'll go." She agreed softly, walking out of his office and down the hall. She herself had grown tired lately, with stress that could rival her fathers- all because of Jonathan's damn toxin. She couldn't really blame him, she had after all asked him to test it on her, and now she was paying the price.

She was starting to see things that were not really there, shadows seemed to form out of nothing and jump out at her. She had already been losing sleep from the horrible hallucination the toxin caused; but she was careful not to let Jonathan or Scarecrow know.

They had tried to warn her, and now she was paying the price for her stupidity. She wasn't entirely sure what drove her to test it; but she had a pretty good idea.

Jonathan was dedicated to her, and went out of his way almost all the time to assure she was happy- hell, him being with her and ignoring the risks was the most she would have asked of him or any man she was in a relationship. There were so many things that could happen to him; and all of them ended with him dying or worse, leaving her.

A tiny voice in the back of her mind suggested if she showed how much trust and dedication to him she had; that it might start to give him an idea of how much she loved him. Because she did; there was no doubt about it.

She loved Jonathan Crane.

**XXX**

"Darling!" Annabeth mentally gagged when Ronald came waltzing over to her, his brother Callan in tow. Ronald had a large smile on his face, which didn't really help his looks; he always reminded Annabeth of a ferret with his pointy nose and red face. His blonde hair was shaggy now, she noted, and he had lost a bit of muscle and was a tad more pudgy.

Callan was the same as always: tall and buff, his hair styled in a buzz cut, and was silent. He reminded Annabeth of a panda, which was a huge improvement of her opinion of his older twin; while Callan was a giant, he was actually quite gentle.

"Callan," she greeted the panda first; she turned and kept the smile on her face though forced and greeted the other, "Ronald. Pleasure to see you both again; do you have our drugs."

"Ah yes Miss DiCario," Ronald sighed, spreading his arms wide; another reason she didn't like him, he always talked with his hands, "But must we get to business so soon? I think a little pleasure would be nice."

"They don't mix well," she retorted, crossing her arms and looking to Callan, "Is the deal still set? Or do we need to renegotiate?"

"It is still set," Callan answered, his voice deep and quiet, "Our men are getting them now." Annabeth nodded and turned, watching as the Canadian thugs started to load the drugs on the truck while she tried her damndest to ignore Ronald's piercing ferret gaze, "So Annie-"

"Oh dear God," she muttered under her breath, already not liking where this was going.

"-perhaps this evening you would enjoy to accompany me on an outing? It's only fitting, seeing as how we are betrothed." Annabeth sucked in a tired breath, waiting until the drugs were fully loaded and they were ready to leave.

"Ronald," she began, turning to look at the Canadian ferret in his eyes, "we are not engaged. Not any more- we broke it off two years ago, and it has not and will not ever happen. I'm sorry, but I've already moved on and it is time you did the same."

"Moved on?" He asked incredulously, stopping her by grabbing her shoulder. Annabeth heard her men get into place and could hear the clicks of their guns as they got ready to defend her, and Ronald continued, "you are seeing someone new?"

"Yes," she knocked his hand off and walked to her car, Chris was holding her door open while never letting his gaze leave the threat behind her, "And it is high time you stopped chasing after what you will never get."

**XXX**

"-Annabeth!" Jonathan's voice rang through the apartment as he arrived home; Annie herself was in the kitchen, finishing the stew she had prepared, "Yes, Jonathan?"

"These came for you at the campus today." She turned to find him in the door way, holding a large bouquet of red roses and a diamond necklace hanging off one of the stems. Her mouth dropped and she took them, reading the small card:

"**My darling, **

**I know not of the man you are currently associated with, but I promise he cannot do the things I can do for you and only you. He will never love you as much as I love you; he will never share the same happy memories. **

**Please, come back; I love you more than anything.**

**Yours forever,**

**Ronald Bleist."**

"That son of a bitch!" She threw them on the ground and went to move past Jonathan, intending on grabbing her keys and hunting for the ferret, but stopped short when Jonathan grabbed her arm, "Annabeth!"

"What?!" She was in no mood; they met and she then saw the look in his eyes, he looked mad, "I have things to do Jonathan!"

"Who the Hell is Ronald Bleist?" He snarled, his blue eyes growing dark and angry as his grip tightened slightly, "and why is he saying he loves you- what does he mean "come back"?"

"I used to be engaged to him." She said after a few moments, "But it was broken off a few years ago by my mom. It is over! I swear, I haven't gotten anything from him since I broke it off and haven't seen him unless I had to absolutely; the only reason he sent it was to get to me, and to get to you!"

"Annabeth-"

"Jonathan look," she sighed, yanking her arm away and cupping his cheeks, "What happened between me and Ronald was over a long time ago, and it has remained over. I love you, I want to be with you, and nothing will change that."

With that she kissed him; noticing that he didn't kiss back but didn't say anything. She pulled away and grabbed her keys, intent on finding the damn little Canadian Ferret.

**XXX**

"DADDY." She slammed the door open to her father's study, scaring the hell out of him, "Annabeth what-"

"THAT DAMN LITTLE WEASLE CANADIAN SON OF A BITCH." She snarled, slamming her hands on his desk, "He is trying to cause problems between me and Jonathan- sending roses and diamonds to the university, trying to make it look like Jonathan isn't good enough-" she snarled angrily as she cut herself off, pacing the floor of his study.

"Uh-" her father stood and watched her, "Bleist? I'll talk to Francisco. Don't worry princess- I'll take care of it."

"I just," she sighed and looked at her father- startling him when he saw unshed tears in her eyes, "Daddy, I just don't want to lose him."

"Annabeth-"

"I love him, Daddy; I really do."

**XXX**

"Mom I'm scared," Annabeth confided softly, staring at her mother, "I'm scared and I don't know what to do." Her only answer was the beep of the machine, the faint noise of people walking in the halls, the air conditioning, "And I don't know why I came to you; it's not like you can really help me."

"I don't want to lose Jonathan," she sighed, closing her eyes, "and I know to anyone just hearing about it they would think I'm over reacting but they didn't see it- that damn look in his eyes when he handed me the flowers. It was like he couldn't decide whether to be heart broken or angry and I just- I have never been good with confrontation. Not unless it was to end for sure in a fight- because I always win those. But when it comes to confrontation to build something like trust, I haven't been able to do it."

**XXX**

It seemed not uncommon for Annabeth to come back to an empty apartment when she had fought with Jonathan; in fact the few times they seemed to get in large fights, Jonathan always seemed to disappear. So this time, instead of running to him, she decided to let it work itself out. Surely that would work, he would come back eventually, right?

XXX

A week. A motherfucking week. That son of a bitch, has not called her in a week, has not seen her in a week, has been illusive for a week- and Annabeth was pissed.

"You cheeky bastard," she snarled, twisting the top with all her might, "I just want a pickle, all you need to do is open-and-let-me-get-my-pickle!" She finally yelled in anger and threw the pickle jar on the ground; the jar shattered and pickles and pickle juice went everywhere.

She reached down and yanked up a pickle, running it under cold water in the sink and making sure no glass was in the pickle as she took a bite.

"Well that was a bit excessive." She choked and turned, finding Chris standing in the door way to her kitchen, staring at the smashed jar, "did you really have to kill the pickle jar?"

"Yes."

"Alrighty then," He sighed, bending down as he carefully started to collect the glass shards, "Um, Dad wants us all at the house, like, now."

"Who exactly is implied with "all of us"?" She asked, grabbing a warm wash cloth and towel as she started wiping up the pickle juice; Chris had the glass picked up and was gathering the pickles, placing them in a bowl he answered, "You, me, Shelby, and Aunt Gertrude."

"Aunt Gertrude?" Aunt Gertrude was their mother's sister, her only sibling.

"Yeah- Annie, Dad is thinking of pulling mom's plug."

XXX

"You have to understand." They were gathered in their father's study, Annabeth stood behind her sister who was sitting in a chair, and Chris was standing behind the chair Gertrude was sitting in, "Your mother…. Isn't getting any better. The doctors don't know what's wrong, and they say she is brain dead; Maria, is gone."

"No!" Shelby shouted, her eyes wide and teary, "you can't just give up on mom; she wouldn't give up on you! She wouldn't give up on any of us!"

"I know that!" He replied, his own eyes tired and defeated, "But your mother, is gone! She is not waking up, and I am not going to keep her waiting to pass on for our own selfishness!"

"This is my little sister we are talking about!" Gertrude growled, "she is my family! I should get a say in whether or not the plug is pulled!"

"All legal rights for something like that went to me when I married her, "he replied, "therefor I decide things like this."

"Father," Chris pleaded, leaning forward slightly, "can't we just wait a little longer-"

"No," Their father shut him down immediately, and his green eyes flickered to his oldest child, "Annabeth?"

"I don't want to lose mom," Annabeth whispered, opening her hazel eyes as she stared pleadingly at her father, "I don't ever think I could. Daddy, is there nothing we can do to change your mind?"

"No." He shook his head slightly, looking away, "I'm sorry, but I've already called the hospital- and they are waiting for us to get there."

"I'm not giving up without a fight," Gertrude promised, standing, "I'm going to the police, just you wait."

"Forget it," Shelby snarled, leaving the room in a huff as she started to sob.

"I can't," Chris choked out, leaving the room quickly after Gertrude.

"Aunt Gertrude can't do anything, can she?" Annabeth asked, looking to her father as he stood and answered, "No. Are you coming?"

"Yeah."

XXX

Jonathan sat in his apartment, slowly sipping a glass of scotch as he stared at his student's homework.

'**I miss Peach.'**

'_Get over it.'_

'**No. Johnny, I don't even know why your upset; she isn't with that boy anymore.'**

'_That isn't the point-'_ He was cut off by knocking at his door; it was urgent and demanding, causing him to stand up quickly and move towards it.

When he opened it, he found Annabeth. Her eyes were tear stained, her clothing wrinkled as if she slept in it, and her hair was messed, "Annie-"

She let a sob leave her lips as she lunged for him, latching on to his shoulders as she cried uncontrollably. He pulled her into the apartment quickly, shutting the door and locking it as he tried to pry her, "Annie what-"

"She's dead; my mom's dead!" She gasped out, looking at him with wide hazel eyes, "Oh god Jonathan what have we done? My dad pulled the plug, and I let him! Oh god-"

"Annie," Jonathan didn't know what to do; he never knew either of his parents, so he didn't really know loss of one, "It's okay-"

"No it's not!"

"Dammit," he growled, picking her up full bridal style and moving into his bedroom; he tried to set her down on the bed but she wouldn't let go, "Annie, I'm just going to make some tea-"

"Don't leave me alone," she begged softly, "I can't be alone." Jonathan rolled his eyes at her, laying down next to her as he held her close, "Annie, it will be okay. You just need to trust me on this one, Peach."

"Please," she looked up, "Johnny ever since the toxin I-"

"There have been after affects?" He asked, sitting up and grabbing a small black journal as he looked to her eagerly, "What has happened?"

"I- no, I have just been having nightmares and seeing some things in the corner of my vision-"

"Paranoia," he muttered as he scribbled, "lack of sleep…."

"Johnny-" she shook her head and got up, wrapping her arms around herself as she left the bedroom, heading for the front door, "-just… just forget it."

"Will you stop running away?" He growled, coming up behind her and pressing his hand against the door, blocking her escape route, "every time we get in a fight, you run away! Can't we just talk it out, for once?!"

"I'm not good at talking it out," she exclaimed, turning around, "and I came here trying to find comfort after losing my mom, and you are taking notes for your toxin!"

"Well we need to talk it out," he sighed, his eyes taking an exhausted edge.

"Johnny," she whispered, "I am sorry- I just am nothing compared to you! And your perfect in every way, and I am just horrible at this relationship and I am sorry-" He kissed her, cutting off her pathetic rant sufficiently as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

She gripped his shirt, leaning up and deepening it; when he pulled away he looked her into her eyes steadily, "Annabeth I am nowhere near perfect, not even close! You are just perfect in every way to me, and you are perfect in this relationship. I'm sorry about your mom, and I will help you and your family in any way possible on one condition."

"What?" she asked softly, ready to agree to anything.

"Tell me," he had a hidden light in his eyes, a possessive light, "Who is Ronald Bleist exactly?"

XXX

Alright guys! That is a wrap for this week's chapter! What will happen next week will probably be the funeral, and Jonathan will meet Annabeth's ex-fiance! Yay…..

Anyways, thanks for reading, I know everything has been a little hectic lately but hopefully all that is over with! I hope.

Until next time,

-Sketch1997


	13. What She Fears

**Thank you to Asixua, SweetIronySince1997, Sussy6 and Mercenary2.0 for following Beautiful lie; **

**And thank you to Mercenary2.0 and Scarlettexsgd0w for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Guest: No problem, I love updating!**

**XXX**

It was a rainy day in Gotham; the weather reflected the mood of Gotham's majority population perfectly. A large mass of people stood in the cemetery; the preachers voice carried over the crying children, the gentle rustle of the mourners clothing, the soft condolences to the large DiCario family.

"Maria Isabella DiCario," his voice was deep and timber, steady, even now as he was ending the speech, "she was a wife, a mother, a peace keeper. Best friend too many, only friend to some, she was one of the few beacons of light this city had; but now, sadly, she has passed.

"But we must not lose hope; Maria would have wanted us to celebrate her life, not mourn her death. She lives on, in her husband, in her children, and in the DiCario Empire." Christopher DiCario walked forward slowly, in his hand a deep red rose, and in the other a handful of dirt. He tossed the rose in, and the dirt soon followed, "My beloved Maria, you will be missed."

Annabeth walked behind her father, tossing in a single white rose; not bothering to utter any final words because she knew they would come back to haunt her. She walked passed her siblings, who were waiting to throw in their own roses, their own remorse, and to Jonathan, who stood behind the immediate and closest family.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly; he was dressed in a black suit, his dark hair swept back and his face remorseful, "I truly am." Annabeth nodded weakly and buried her face in his chest, his arms wrapped around her loosely as they watched the dozens and dozens of other DiCarios toss roses in, then the other mob families came up, then the close friends, then everyone else.

A man walked up to Annabeth, and Jonathan automatically was reminded of a ferret; his beady eyes flickered to Jonathan briefly and then back to Annabeth, "Annie, I wanted to apologize for your mother's untimely and unfortunate passing; if there is anything you will ever need, please, just ask me. Perhaps, I can show my condolences over lunch some time."

"Thank you, Ronald," Annabeth's smile was tight, forced, "but I'm alright. I have Jonathan to help me; you can grieve with your brother."

"Ah," he sneered, "so you must be Jonathan."

"Yes," Jonathan answered coldly, grabbing Ronald's out stretch answered and shaking it with a tight grip, "and you must be Ronald; a pleasure." Ronald smiled in fake agreement and his sweaty hand tightened around Jonathan's cold one, "Yes; a pleasure, Mr. Crane. Anyways, Annabeth, I will be seeing you around, but I must take my leave."

Annabeth and Jonathan stayed silent, at least to one another, until they got in Jonathan's car. As Jonathan started the car, he turned to Annabeth and said slowly, "Your right. He does look like a ferret."

She laughed softly, shaking her head and smiling at him, "I told you he did! But no, you were to busy being jealous-"He leaned over and kissed her softly, brushing her hair back slowly and letting her lean in.

"Thank you," she whispered, opening her eyes, "for distracting me- but you realize that I will have a mental breakdown later, probably having an emotional episode, right?"

"Yes," he admitted softly, his eyes never straying from hers, "But I am a trained psychologists, I will take care of you; don't worry, Peach."

**XXX**

"_Johnny," she whispered softly, laying on top of him in nothing but a thin tank top and pair of panties; he wore nothing but boxers and an eager expression. _

"_Annie," he breathed, his hands roaming her sides as he traced her curves; she smiled letting her lips take her as her hands slowly trailed down the front of his torso-_

A scream jolted Jonathan from his dream; he found himself lying in Annabeth's bed, covered in sweat with wide eyes as he tried to make sense of what just happened. A low moan took his attention and he looked over, seeing Annabeth sleeping next to him, her face scared and sweating.

'**She's having a nightmare,'** Scarecrow whispered.

'_We were having a good dream,'_ Jonathan answered softly, leaning over as he cooed in her ear softly, "Shh, it's okay Annie; it's just a bad dream, you are okay." She slowly loosened her face, peace taking over her expression and she sighed, lying in his arms as a deep sleep took her.

"She has been having a lot of nightmares recently," Jonathan muttered, his eyes narrowed angrily, "I wonder if this is a reaction to the toxin? I told her to tell me if there was anything wrong."

'**Peach is stubborn; you can't be that surprised.'**

"But this could be serious. She could seriously hurt herself from being sleep deprived."

'**I'm not saying let her off the hook. I'm just saying let's see how long until she tells us.'**

**XXX**

Annabeth smiled at Jonathan lovingly, trying to keep her eyes open as he spoke, "Are you okay Annie- you look a little tired."

"I'm okay," she replied, fighting the yawn that threatened to escape her lips.

"Sure you are," he rolled his eyes and pulled her into his arms, "let's take a nap. Out here, on the couch- seeing as how you have nightmares when we lay in bed." She froze, her face slowly looking up from him chest to his knowing and piercing blue eyes.

"I should have told you sooner," she admitted softly, "but I can handle a few scary things. Its okay-"

"No it isn't." he cut her off, "Annabeth, these things can be side effects from the toxin; they could cause you permanent damage. I won't let you live in fear, my Peach; you are above fear."

**XXX**

"What do you fear?" Jonathan stood above her; she herself strapped to a chair resembling to one you would sit in at the dentist's office. They were currently in the basement of an abandoned Fishing Store that sat on the edge of the Narrows; this is apparently the place Jonathan had set up as his lab.

"I hate fish," she informed him, looking around and wrinkling her nose at the smell of fish. He sighed and pulled off his mask- what you had so bluntly pointed out looked like a potato bag –as he grabbed his glasses off the stand.

"Do you fear fish?" he sighed, his eyes tired as he ran his hand through his tousled hair.

"No," Annabeth replied after a moment of thinking, "they just bother me. I don't really know what I fear; although I suppose I fear lots of things."

"I'm going to give you a very small dosage," he whispered softly, stroking some of her hair from her face as she smiled, "so this way, your fears shouldn't over whelm you; we can work through them slowly, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered; her eyes averting when he grabbed a needle, he chuckled softly, "well I know you are scared of needles."

"No I am not!" Annabeth tried to hide her wince when the needle broke skin, "I just really, really don't like them…"

"Uh-Hu," he murmured, his eyes locking with hers as the drug started to take effect, "now, what…do…you…fear?" With each word, he spoke softer and got closer, his lips drifted over hers and Annabeth's pupils dilated.

"Jonathan-"her voice held a hint of terror, seeing things that were invisible to Jonathan, and she started to struggle weakly against the bonds.

"What do you fear?" he questioned again, his voice coming deeper and scratchier, Scarecrow struggling to the surface, "Tell me."

"Jonathan-"she was terrified, her eyes wide "Get him off."

"Get who off?" Scarecrow questioned a bit more aggressively, grabbing her arms, "Get who off, Annabeth?"

"Jonathan," Annabeth begged, "please- please just get him off- Jonathan please!"

"Get who off?" Scarecrow snarled, "Who is it!?"

"JONATHAN GET HIM OFF-"She screeched, kicking wildly, "GET SCARECROW OFF!"

'_What?'_ Jonathan whispered softly, confused.

"What?" Scarecrow echoes Jonathan's thought verbally, staring down at Annabeth with wide eyes, "Annie what do you see?"

"Please-"she begged, tears streaming down her face, her hazel eyes screwed shut, "Please go away- please Scarecrow."

Now whether it was it was Annabeth wanted Jonathan with her for the effects of the toxin, or she was seeing Scarecrow because of the toxin, they didn't know. Only Annabeth knew, and she was current screaming bloody murder as she thrashed, yelling for Scarecrow to go away, to bring Jonathan, her Jonathan back.

Jonathan felt conflicted: Annabeth was screaming in terror for him, for him to assist her, and that was hard for him to comprehend because she never, ever asked for help, and he wanted to give her the sedative and calm her, hold her and chase away her fears; but on the other hand he felt angry, now realizing that she hadn't accepted Scarecrow and lied to them both.

Scarecrow was devastated: He truly loved Annabeth, his peach, and she was here screaming at him to go away when to the best of his knowledge, he didn't do anything wrong. What made it worse was that he honestly believed she loved him and accepted him, but it was a ploy.

Yes, Scarecrow could see it clearly now, she loved Jonathan. Only, Jonathan. She at most, tolerated Scarecrow to be with his other half, and had fooled them both. As if in a dream, Scarecrow filled a syringe full of clear liquid and stared at her, grabbing her upper arm he placed it on a vein.

"I'm sorry, peach."

**XXX**

Annabeth was floating, not literally but figuratively so.

She could recall once, when she did drugs; but only once. Her brothers, Christian and Chris, had grabbed a bit from the storage room- what the drug was, she couldn't recall –and had talked her into trying some with them. The feeling had been very pleasant, because if only for thirty minutes tops, she had lost all the stress she lived with daily.

She wasn't worried about watching over her siblings, about leading the family; she wasn't worried about suitors or drug trades or anything- she was so mellow. Then of course, her father found them- oh god he was furious.

"You are above this!" he had yelled, his face contorted in such rage that Annabeth's brothers actually cowered behind her, "You are DiCarios; the best of this city! DiCarios do not stoop so low, as to do drugs!"

That was most likely the closest thing to a speech he ever gave to them; Maria was usually the motivational speaker in the house.

She was floating now, in nothing than a dark void; she vaguely wonder if she was dead? No, death wouldn't be so pleasant, not for her at least. Slowly, time drags on and she gets feeling back in her fingers and toes; which bothers her because she hadn't realized she even had lost feeling to begin with.

Now she is antsy; Annabeth hated not being able to do something- anything really, and the fact that she couldn't move was bothering her. After what seemed like hours, she gained a straining feeling on her arms, knowing she was trying to lift them but was unable to.

Another seemingly few hours later, she can lift her entire body, and opens her eyes; she is in her apartment. She tries to stand and the world goes a bluish color and tilts to the left, causing her to fall back down, "One more time."

She finally stands and limps through the apartment, trying to remember what happened; she was with Jonathan, he gave her toxin, then… what? She sees her phone and grabs it, hitting speed dial and tapping her foot impatiently as she waits for him to pick up.

"Hello?" She asked when it stopped, not waiting for her to greet her, "Jonathan?"

"Annabeth," his voice was clipped, and Annabeth detected a bit of hostility, "yes?"

"Uh, what the hell happened? "She sat on the couch, trying desperately to remember to see what had upset him.

"You saw your greatest fear."

"Yeah, and?"

"Do you remember what it was?" He sounded impatient.

"No-"

"Scarecrow." He interrupted, obviously not wanting to play Q and A, "You saw Scarecrow; and he is, by the way, devastated."

"Jonathan-"

"No, Annabeth." Yeah, he was pissed, "I just- we need time. Alone."

"Are you saying we should go on a break?" Annabeth's voice was tight, and she was trying her damndest not to cry, not for him, "You want to break up?"

"…"

"Is that what you're saying?" she demanded, standing and pacing the floor, terrified of the answer.

"Yes."

**XXX**

"Why?" she sobbed in her pillow, "where did it all go wrong?"

"Mow."

Shortly after getting off the phone with Jonathan- she promptly hung up after his answer –she had returned home only for a minute; to get her lynx, Zoe.

"You are not helping what so ever," she growled to the cat, getting up and walking into the kitchen, to the freezer which held a un believably large amount of vanilla ice cream.

"Mrow."

Annabeth looked down, Zoe was sitting next to her; the cat's tawny eyes large and pleading as she eyed the frozen treat in Annabeth's hands, "Mrrroooowwww."

"No, Zoe," Annabeth sighed, grabbing a bag from one of the cuparts that was filled with Zoe's treats, "Ice-cream is for people; fish snacks are for cat creatures.

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

Annabeth turned and sat down the ice cream, and the snacks, as she walked towards the door; opening it she nearly cried, it was Jonathan.

"Yes?"

"I…" he was looking to the side, as if afraid to meet her eyes, "I left a few shirts here."

"I was wondering when you'd get the balls to come get them," she hummed leaving him at the door and walking into the bedroom.

"Annabeth?"

"Yes Jonathan?"

"What is that?" she walked back in the room to see him with his back against the door frame, staring wide eyed at Zoe, who had gotten into her treats.

"Not a 'that'," she grumbled, setting down the bag and walking forward, "but a 'who'. And this is Zoe, my Eurasian Lynx- a far better companion."

"Right." He looked back at her and grabbed his bag, standing there awkwardly, "well…"

"Just go," she sighed, turning away and crossing her arms, ignoring Zoe who came up to her and pressed her muzzle against her leg, looking for more treats.

"Annabeth," he sighed angrily, "you have to understand-"

"No; you have to understand!" she snarled; Zoe recognized the tone of voice and automatically growled, her head turning to Jonathan menacingly, "I get it; okay? But here I am, freaked out by the fact that my boyfriend had another PERSON in his head, a potentially dangerous one, and you expect me to take it all happy like? No sir; I just cannot accept that easily, and I am sorry- the only reason I didn't come to you to talk about it was because I knew it would upset you!"

"Annabeth-"

"NO." Zoe was now crouched next to Annabeth, snarling as she stared at the intruder, "just go- just go, Jonathan."

"Annabeth-"

"I am going to count to three; and if you aren't going, I will have my lynx attack." Annabeth warned, crossing her arms with a poker faced expression.

"Annabeth will you just-"

"1-"

"Listen to me-"

"2-"

"I just-"

"3; Zoe, attack."

**XXX**

**Author's Note:**

**Okay guys; wow. Honestly, I had to force myself to stop typing; I wanted to just keep going and going and going- yeah. **

**So, I noticed every time Johnny and Annie get into a fight they make up before the end of the chapter- so this fight will last a while because I need to lead the story along. **

**Anyone seen GOTHAM? Great show- god I love Edward, and Oswald, and Harvey; hell, I love nearly all the villains. I hope they bring in Scarecrow; I heard they will, eventually.  
Anyways, until next time, **

**-Sketch1997**


	14. Just Past the Shoulders

**Special Thanks to Ashleydiana105 and Starswim for following Beautiful lie, **

**And thanks to Ashleydiana105, Ari2296, Darth Kyrie and Starswim for favoring Beautiful Lie!**

**Lilies and Bobcats: well, I'm glad I threw you for a loop last chapter. And about the lynx meaning something, yes it does. What it symbolizes is foresight, and it also is called the "keeper of secrets". In coming chapters, you may see of how Annabeth always seems to know what is going on with everyone, as in she knows everyone else's little secrets; but doesn't tell them.**

**XXX**

"-we must remain strong, we five families." Carmine Falcone stood by Annabeth's mother's piano, looking out on the magnificent view of Gotham's bay. Annabeth herself sat on one of the many love seats, her eyes down cast as she tried to ignore Ronald's stare.

"I completely agree," Christopher DiCario agreed, standing behind his daughter's couch as he looked over to the head of the Bleists, "how goes everything in your territories?"

"Well," Ronald spoke for his father, "Everything is going splendid in our territories, except of course, our normal drug users are dying."

"What?" Carmine turned, staring at the oldest child of the Bleist household in shock, "what do you mean, 'dying'?"

"Exactly what I said, sir," he stood and leisurely strolled to the middle of the room, enjoying to attention, "there is some new drug, they are calling it Toxin, and it is running wild in our territory."

"Eh-"Gambol stood and was looking rather pissed, "that Toxin shit? It is making our regular customers dropping like flies man! Who the hell is selling this shit?"

"What are the effects?" Annabeth asked a cold feeling spread through her chest, "other than ultimately dying?"

"Well," Gambol came and sat next to her, draping an arm across her couch, "it is a drug you inject, and it is supposed to give the person total ecstasy, but in reality, we have learned that it causes the person to hallucinate their greatest fears."

"Their greatest fears?" Tetchen looked over to Maroni, "who would buy that?"

"Well with the police cracking down on what is coming into the docks," Christopher muttered, running his hand through his hair tiredly, "it has been harder to bring in drugs. We have had trouble bringing in the simplest drugs; there is a cop everywhere you turn down at the docks."

"A long time ago," Christopher continued, looking back at Annabeth and the Bleist twins, "oh, you three were young, so you most likely don't remember; but there was a new drug that hit the streets. It was called Viper; you see what it did was, give you the strength of a god, but in order to do so, it took literally all the calcium and such out of the user's bone. A man distributed it to the homeless and drug abusive people for free, and they all did. Cut down all the families' profits; but that is not the point. The point is, even though the people knew what the ultimate conclusion from using the drug did, they still took it; because if even for a few hours, they felt like gods. People these days, get their kicks from the strangest things; and this 'fear toxin' is just a small thing, that will blow over like the other drug."

"The GCPD is starting to take their jobs seriously," Carmine stated simply, turning to face the other families completely, his expression cool, "let them. It is most likely nothing but passing faze, they will find soon enough that even though they can try all their might, they will never stop these families, the founding families."

All the families murmured their consent and the meeting was adjourned; Annabeth bid her farewell and walked casually out of the studio room of the DiCario house, waiting until she was out of the sight of all the families and their guards to run like a bat out of hell to her car, tearing away and dialing Jonathan's number.

**XXX**

"Annabeth?" Jonathan answered his phone surprised, leaning back in his chair and setting the glass of scotch down, "what's wrong? We agreed to a break-"

"Jonathan just shut up for a minute," she hissed, "I need to talk to you in person, meet me at my apartment right now."

"But-"

"Listen to me you stubborn asshole," she was definitely pissed, "My neck and your neck is on the line, now get your ass to my apartment- yours might be bugged. You have ten minutes."

With that, she hung up and Jonathan sat for a minute staring at the phone.

'**We don't have to go.'**

'_No,'_ Jonathan agreed, _'but… I think something is seriously wrong-'_

'**So what is she is in trouble? It is not our problem anymore-'**

'_But she said we both were in trouble, so just seeing what it is wouldn't hurt.'_

'**Fine, but I'm not talking to her.'**

**XXX**

He got there literally right after Annabeth, and when he went to knock on the door it opened; she grabbed his shirt and yanked him inside, slamming the door as she turned with arms crossed.

"Annabeth-"he snarled, turning with angry eyes, "what the fuck-"

"Is it you?" she demanded, hey eyes burning gold, "is it you?"

"Is it me what?"

"Are you selling your toxin?" she hissed, taking a step closer, "in the mob territories? Is it you?"

"They named it toxin?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with interest as all hostile behavior disappeared, "that is what they are calling it?"

"Technically, they have named it 'fear toxin'," she explained, her face relaxing some, "not really creative but- wait, no, you're getting off topic. Jonathan, the families are beyond mad that all their money is disappearing, mainly because your toxin is killing people. They are looking for the source, and if they find you-"

"It will be okay-"he tried to reason but she cut him off, "No, Johnny they will kill you when they find you, and there is nothing I can do to stop them without bringing their wrath down on my family."

"Annabeth," he tried again, "Everything will be fine." She didn't look reassured, and when he tried to elaborate on his belief his phone went off.

"Hello?" he asked, turning away from Annabeth as he listened to the caller, "oh, Sherry, now really isn't a good time."

"But Jon baby," Annabeth heard a female's voice giggle on the other end, "I miss you, we should meet up for lunch."

"Okay," he sighed, running his hand through his hair, "how about twelve thirty at that little café-"

"Oh yeah!" Annabeth didn't like the sound of this girl's voice, "Totally Sweetie, see you in a bit."

"Alright-"

"Love you Jon!"

"I love you too, Sherry." He shut his phone and froze, slowly turning to face a completely still Annabeth. Her face was devoid of all emotion, her posture stiff and rigid as her eyes emotionless.

"Annabeth-"

"I just wanted to tell you to stop or be more careful," she muttered, averting her gaze, "that was it. You should get going."

"Annie just listen," he sighed walking forward a bit, "we both agreed a break would be good- if we just opened our options a bit and Scarecrow needs a distraction-"

"Just go," she interrupted softly, her voice lacking emotion, "just please, go enjoy your lunch. Your right, we both agreed and we both need to act like adults, now I will tell you once more to leave."

He opened his mouth but no sound came out, instead he just stared at her with a bitter feeling in his throat.

'Jonathan,' Scarecrow hissed, 'go now.'

He listened to his other half and willed his legs to move in the direction of the door; he opened it and looked back at Annabeth once more before leaving.

**XXX**

She stood there for a little bit, feeling like she was going to be sick; they were only apart a week and he already-

Oh god, she was going to be sick.

"Jamie," she whispered in the phone, lying weakly on the couch, "I need you to look someone up and do recon."

"Yes Miss DiCario," Jamie Wetlock, her most trusted guard/assistant/spy/hair stylist answered, "Who is it?"

"I only have the name Sherry," she sighed, "but she is currently dating Jonathan Crane, would that be enough?"

"I thought you were dating the cutie Crane?" Jamie asked, "did something happen?"

"Yeah," she muttered, "but can you gather some stuff and come to my apartment tonight?"

"Yes Miss DiCario."

**XXX**

Jonathan walked to the café that was literally on the college campus, a few minutes from the library. He spotted a familiar blonde and felt his heart freeze, forcing a smile.

Sherry Squires, a nineteen year old blonde girl with the body of a Barbie doll and the personality of an idiot; Jonathan hated her.

But Scarecrow loved her; no, love was the wrong word. He enjoyed sleeping with her was correct, so maybe use her was more appropriate.

"Jon baby," she cooed, her eyes lighting up when she saw him, "how goes baby doll?"

"Oh everything is wonder full," Scarecrow answered, Jonathan fleeing to the back of his mind to block out this idiotic little girl.

"What were you doing that was so important earlier," she asked as she jabbed at her salad, looking up at him through her thick eyelashes.

"Oh nothing," Scarecrow hummed, his eyes drifting outside of the café, "just had a meeting with a student of mine."

**XXX**

"Annie baby what is wrong?" Jamie asked, setting down thick files on the coffee table as he looked down at the soon fully depressed mobster.

Jamie was without Annabeth favorite, mainly because he wasn't constantly trying to look down her shirt. He had bleach blonde curls, bright baby blue eyes, and was always sharply dressed; tall and thin, well-educated and always happy, if not a bit worried, like he was right now.

"We broke up," she muttered, sitting up and pulling her hair back in a ponytail, "uh- Jamie I think we have to cut my hair."

"Cut your hair?" he asked, shocked, "but Miss DiCario-"

"Yeah," she mused, pulling the file close to her as she started to flip through, "defiantly. Maybe to my shoulders… maybe. Alright Jamie, who is she?"

"Sherylynn Stacey Squires," he began with a sigh as he sat next to her, "she is about two years older than Jonathan, and she graduated high school with him. They apparently ran into one another last week, and let me just tell you, this girl is a total bitch."

"How so?"

"She is like the stereotypical cheerleading mean girl; and I am sorry but she doesn't seem like Crane's type at all."

"Alright," she shut the folder quickly and stood, placing it on the book case as she turned back to Jamie, "I am just going to momentarily ignore this whole fiasco because if I think about it I will most likely cry. Right now, you are going to give me a haircut."

"Oh darling," Jamie shook his head, "don't you know never to cut our hair when you break up with someone?"

"I want to cut my hair."

**XXX**

"Not bad," Annabeth decided, staring in the mirror as she ran her hand through her now just past her shoulder hair, "My head definitely feels lighter." Jamie sobbed in the back ground, clutching the black locks she forced him to cut off; although Annabeth couldn't see the problem.

It now fell maybe an inch past her shoulders, and having lost so much weight now held a bounce to it; she certainly liked it, "Oh Jamie, get over yourself. My hair is just fine like this; you're over reacting."

"Thanksgiving is tomorrow," he sniffled, "are you just staying here tonight and coming over early tomorrow, or will you spend the night at your family's house?"

"I will just come early tomorrow," she answered softly, turning from the mirror, "you do realize that the entire staff is off tomorrow; that includes you."

"Oh no baby," he laughed, "everyone but the security guards are off. The other families come to your house; and I highly doubt you trust any of them."

"I don't," she agreed, turning and hugging him tightly, "thank you, Jamie."

"Anytime," he kissed her cheek and left; Annabeth could faintly hear him start to hum as he walked off and she shook her head, looking back in the mirror.

"Well," she muttered, "I don't think my hair looks that bad."

**XXX**

**Guys I am sorry this chapter is not that great; and I am sorry that I had Annabeth and Jonathan momentarily separate. But they will, eventually get back together… maybe.**

**I am not really sure I like the whole them being separated, but I know in order to make the story as best as I can for you all they have got to be separate. They may attempt to reconcile… maybe.**

**Yes Sherri Squires is the same Sherri that tormented Jonathan like in the main backstories for him, where he grew up in Arlen and it was her and Bo Griggs. We will get more to that later, and we will introduce some more characters.**

**Honestly, this is not going to be one humungous long detailed story. It probably wont make it to thirty chapters, probably. It is just, I would rather have a bunch of medium sized stories instead of a few really long ones. **

**By the way guys, my lap top has decided to crash on me and I lost all previous files, so if a few things don't seem to add up and I get a few things wrong, please tell me. Because I am pulling my hair out because I lost all pictures, music and documents! God I hate VAIO.**

**Until next time, which by next time I mean Thursday because I will have a Thanksgiving Special for you guys like I did for Halloween, all you guys take care.**

**-Sketch1997**


	15. Thanksgiving

The DiCario house was one of the most beautiful, oldest building in Gotham; and it was an excellent place to have a party. So, for things like Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Years, everyone came to their parties; absolutely everyone.

The boys were either playing full on tackle football in the back yard, or in the game room playing some violent game on the Xbox. The girls, were either socializing with one another, or in the kitchen. It was unbelievably picture perfect, unless, of course, you were in the kitchen.

**XXX**

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY CRANBERRIES?!"

Everyone with a thirty foot radius of the kitchen automatically cringed and hurried away; hoping to avoid the wrath of the oldest female DiCario, 92 year old Elizabeth Janata DiCario.

"Annabeth!" the great grandmother of Annabeth turned to the oldest great grandchild, "where are the cranberries! They need to be ready to put on this bird!"

"Coming right up Gammy!" she dove into the pantry, furiously pushing cans out of her way as she search desperately, "oh god where the hell are they?"

"Gammy we don't have any!" Annabeth declared from the pantry, hearing the sharp intake of breath from the inhabitants of the kitchen.

"But I can run to the store to get some!"

"What are you waiting for Annie?" she shouted, making a shooing motion to the door, "Go get some!"

"Yes Gammy!"

**XXX**

"Cranberries!" Annabeth exclaimed with joy, taking the last three cans from the shelf, "Oh thank you God!"

"I highly doubt God had anything to do with you getting the last cans of Cranberries." Annabeth froze and turned, finding Jonathan holding a package of bread crumbs in one hand and the other held a woman's purse.

"Jonathan?" she asked, her eyes drifting back to the purse.

"Not quite, Peach." He walked forward, "and this is not my purse, in case you were wondering."

"Scarecrow," she realized, a stabbing pang went through her chest as she stared at the darker than normal blue eyes, "I should have figured; pink purses may be Jonathan's style but you strike me more of someone to carry a black clutch."

He laughed, an honest to god laugh, and Annabeth felt her heart stop, "Listen, Scarecrow, about my fear-"

"Jon! I found the last of the bread crumbs!" Annabeth was cut off when she heard a woman's voice carry from a few isles away; she raised an eye brow and turned her eyes to the bread crumbs in Scarecrow's arms.

"I know," he allowed with a sigh, "she is an idiot."

"Why is Jonathan letting you take control with her?" Annabeth asked, finding it odd that Jonathan wasn't in control around his girlfriend; he never let Scarecrow have control around Annabeth herself willingly until he was sure Scarecrow wouldn't hurt her.

"Frankly, he can't stand her. Sherri is more of my distraction then his;" he explained, looking away.

Distraction? Did that mean Jonathan didn't want a relationship with Squires or-

**RING**

"Hello?" Annabeth answered the phone with an aggravated voice.

"Annie!" it was Shelby, "we uh- Gammy- you have to get home! Gammy needs the cranberries now or she is going to absolutely lose it!"

"I am headed back now," she sighed, "tell Gammy she can't wait like ten minutes- no don't tell her that on second thought, she would probably kill me." She closed her phone and looked to Scarecrow who had one eye brow raised, "Can I help you?"

"Gammy?" he laughed, "who is Gammy?"

"My great grandmother you asshole," she laughed, "I have to go; she will lose it if she doesn't have her cranberries."

"Alright," he smiled, "I need to go anyways. See ya around, Peach." He started to walk past her but stopped, looking back at her with an almost bitter smile, "and by the way, I like your hair."

"Oh," she shifted, trying to fight the blush that wanted to rise to her cheeks, "thanks."

"Listen," he coughed, looking behind him as if afraid to get caught, "do you, uh, want to get a cup of coffee sometime?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he placed the bread crumbs on the shelf and crossed his arms, finally meeting her eyes, "Johnny may have been right when he said I reacted to harshly to what happened and he thinks we can still make it work."

"What about Sherry?"

"Yeah… no. She just- she isn't you." He looked at her pleadingly, "look, Peach, I am not going to lie; I have tried to forget you and move on but- it just isn't working. Sherry is okay, but you are more than okay; you're amazing."

"Jonathan…" she whispered; she closed her eyes briefly before sighing and opening them, "how about next Wednesday; around, twelve at the Olympian café?"

"Sounds perfect."

**XXX**

"I'M HERE!" Annabeth ran into the kitchen, dumping the cranberry cans on the counter as she shrunk under the gaze of her grandmother, "I am sorry I took so long!"

"Eh," Gammy waved her off, "just keep Shelby out of the kitchen, that girl can't cook worth a penny!"

"Yes, Gammy," Annabeth hurried out and breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the mass of men, women and children who were mulling around.

"Aunt Annie!" Annabeth looked to the right and her gaze automatically fell on a small dark haired girl, "Lizzie!"

Elizabeth Hope DiCario, named in honor of Gammy, is Annabeth's only niece, Christian's four year old daughter. What happened was Christian had her when he was sixteen, and for some strange reason, their father had been ecstatic. Traditional old man, insisted Christian married the girl he was dating, the mother of his child; although as far as Annabeth was aware, he planned on marrying her anyways, but having Lizzie really pushed him.

Hannah was the mother, a beautiful woman, with soft oriental features and short black hair; she carried Lizzie to Annabeth and the latter gladly took the young girl in her arms, "Oh Lizzie how is my favorite niece!"

"But I'm your only niece!" the girl protested.

"Exactly," she kissed the girl's forehead and handed her back to her mother, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

"Happy Thanksgiving!"

Annabeth walked outside and smiled as she watched Chris tackled Callan to the ground, the football skidding far off. She pretended to ignore the fact that Chris lingered a bit while hovering over Callan, and she also pretended to ignore the way Callan was pouting when Chris got off.

"Annie Dear!" Annabeth groaned and turned, finding Callan walking towards her with a smile on his face; the smile disappeared quickly though, "what in the heavens did you do to your hair?"

"Cut it." She stated simply, crossing her arms defensively, "why? I like it; and everyone else seems to."

"Yeah…" he seemed unsure but he sighed, "Dear I have great news."

"Oh joy-"she rolled her eyes, his tone already pushing it, "allow me to contain my excitement."

"We are engaged!" He smiled wide and Annabeth felt her heart stop, "pardon?"

"Our fathers are talking about it right now, and yours looks like he is going to agree!"

"Oh hell no," she turned and pushed her way inside, searching desperately for her father, intending on stopping it.

**XXX**

She had been searching forever- by forever of course she meant ten minutes.

"Really trying to stop it is pointless," Ronald informed her, walking right beside her stubbornly, "I would make a wonderful husband!"

"Yeah not thanks-"she began but was soon cut off.

A large explosion tore in one of the far buildings, causing a tremor to run through the DiCario house. It was nothing really, it barely made the paintings move; but it obviously meant something to that idiot ferret Ronald.

"Bomb!" he shouted, literally jumping on her; he threw her against the marble wall, sufficiently causing her to black out for a few seconds as a shooting pain throbbed in the back of her head. She groaned and weakly pushed his chest, "you idiot-"

She stood and stumbled away from him; ignoring him as he exclaimed, "Why Annie your bleeding!"

"No shit Sherlock," she snarled, managing to her feet as she headed to kitchen, fully intending to get ice.

**XXX**

As it would turn out, no holiday is perfect, and the DiCario's holidays were no exception. A group of twelve to thirteen year old boys, a couple from each family, had conjugated in one of the back sheds with a bunch of fireworks. Needless to say, none of them knew what they were doing, so a small explosion happened; no one was hurt, no one died, and festivities picked up quickly after the little incident.

"Dad I can't be engaged to Ronald," Annabeth stated plainly, holding the ice back to the back of her head.

"Annabeth," her father sighed, sitting next to her on the couch, "I heard you had broken up with that Crane, alright? I think that this is a sign from the heavens that you and Ronald should give it one last go-"

"I haven't broken up with Jonathan."

"What? But I heard-" he began but Annabeth was quick to explain, "well we did break up, but now we are trying to make it work and I am just so confused because I don't know what to do and-"

"Quiet," he commanded and Annabeth shut her mouth, watching her father anxiously; "alright, Annabeth; I will tell the Bleists I need more time to think about it, and during that time you are to find out whether or not it will work with Crane. For now, please, can we just focus on Thanksgiving?"

**XXX**

"Ann," Annabeth was stopped for possibly the millionth time that day and turned, finding her Aunt Maddie standing behind her with crossed arms.

Aunt Madilyn was Annabeth's only Aunt on her father's side, the youngest of his siblings. She was honestly Annabeth's main role model growing up; Maddie was strong, confident, beautiful, and she didn't even bother to marry until she was thirty, despite Annabeth's Grandfather's wishes.

"What are ya doing inside?" the older DiCario demanded, "football is in the back yard young lady, and girls against those boys are 'bout to go under way!"

"Well actually I hit my head-"

"No excuses!" Maddie declared, grabbing her nieces arm and dragging her outside; a mass of girls to the left and a mass of boys to the right, the girls against boy's football was the largest event of Thanksgiving, and no one wanted to miss it.

If Annabeth was being honest, she didn't know a single damn thing about football; her only job was to tackle people and ensure the ball gets safely to the other end of the field. And she was perfectly okay with that; this football game was a perfect time for everyone to settle old grudges, and Annabeth had plenty to settle.

**XXX**

"God I think something is broken…" Chris wined, clutching his side as he limped inside.

"Oh get over it you baby," Annabeth clasped her brother on his shoulder and smiled when he winced; "if dad hadn't known that me and Jonathan was on a break, then maybe you wouldn't be hurt so bad."

"Annie," Callan walked beside them and sighed, "you pack one hell of a punch."

"You tell me this at the end of every annual game," Annabeth laughed, walking inside, "like you keep expecting it to change or something; but it never will-"

"TIME TO EAT!" Annabeth barely had time to press herself against the wall as a herd of children came rushing through the corridor; nearly trampling everyone who didn't have time to press against the sides.

"God I hate kids," Annabeth sighed, moving from her spot and standing in the middle of the hallway, "I can't stand the little brats."

"Oh but Annie," Chris laughed, "I want to be an uncle; I would probably make the best uncle in the world you know."

"You would probably lose the kid," Callan disagreed, a playful smile on his face, "or accidently throw it out a window or something."

"I would not-"

"Oh god you both fight like an old married couple," Annabeth shoved both boys in the direction of the dining room; ignoring the slight blush on her brother's face as she laughed and shook her head.

**XXX**

"Potatoes!" Annabeth cheered as she grabbed a spoonful smiling, "Oh- pass the white gravy! God I love food. Dammit Shelby, eat your food."

"But I have a figure to watch!" Shelby wined, pocking her green bean distastefully, "Not all of us are naturally beautiful…" She trailed off as she watched her older sister shove a spoonful on mash potatoes in her mouth ungracefully, until Annabeth looked up and muttered with a mouth full of food, "what?"

"God how are we related?" Shelby whispered, looking away in horror; Annabeth sighed boredly and grabbed the bowl of mash potatoes and slapped a spoonful on her younger sister's plate, "Shelby, eat food."

"God do you realize how much butter and salt Gammy put in these?" Shelby cried, grabbing her spoon and scooping the potatoes away from her vegetables, "Daaddddd, Annie is putting fatty foods on my plate!"

"Potatoes are vegetables," Christopher soothed, pausing to put his own potatoes on his plate; he looked up and smiled, "so really there shouldn't be a problem."

" . .Fat." Shelby deadpanned, her hands stilling as she stared her father in the eye; Christopher paused and looked down at his potatoes and then his stomach almost self-consciously before setting the full spoon down.

"Fuck it I will be fat," Annabeth took another large bite and Shelby gained a mischievous smirk, causing Annabeth to gulp.

"Oh Annie," She cooed, her eyes holding a terrifying light, "don't worry; it is natural that you are going to get cravings, especially now that you are, well, you know."

Cravings? What is Shelby, oh; Annabeth glanced over at her father who had dropped his fork and was staring at her wide eyed.

"You are what?" Chris demanded, leaning forward, "what are you, Annabeth?"

"Well I am ninety nine percent sure that I am human," Annabeth avoided her eyes and her father gave a sharp intake of breath, "Annabeth Clarisse DiCario you better not be what I think you are."

"I am not pregnant," Annabeth defended, "I am just a chubby girl who enjoys food. Shelby is just trying to start shit so she doesn't have to eat her potatoes. Gammy; Shelby won't eat your potatoes!"

"Shelby Maria DiCario-"Their great grandmother began and Shelby groaned.

**XXX**

"Great Thanksgiving everyone!" Annabeth shouted, closing the front door and walking to her car. She slowly drove home, smiling lazily at the thought of falling into a food coma when she got home. As she sat at the red light, about ten minutes from her house, she saw something that made her want to throw up her food.

Jonathan sat on a bench in the park, just within sight of the road; and practically sitting on top of him was Sherry. She felt her food threaten to come up and punched the gas when the light turned green; feeling such hatred for Jonathan and Scarecrow at the moment that if she didn't get out of the area soon she might go homicidal.

**XXX**

"Yeah, Sherry," Scarecrow sighed from his spot on the bench, staring at the pond in the middle of the park, "It just… it isn't working out."

"What?" She looked shocked, recoiling as if she were confronted with a poisonous snake, "What do you mean?"

"I mean we are done," Scarecrow was going to be nice, let her off easy; but every time he heard her voice he felt like punching a tree, "It isn't working out."

"It is that girl," Sherry realized, "the one from the store earlier, that black haired bitch; isn't it?"

"No… actually yes, it is," yeah Scarecrow WAS going to be nice, but then she went and called Peach a bitch and that also made him feel like punching a tree; now Scarecrow felt the urge to destroy her already little self-confidence, "Sherry you are just too easy; Annabeth on the other hand, the black haired woman from the store, is someone you have to fight for. She doesn't take shit, she doesn't automatically agree, and while her being stubborn may be aggravating, it is also one of the most amazing things I have ever encountered in my life.

"She has just the most beautiful hazel eyes that most the time shine gold, the darkest black hair I have ever seen. She has that little mole under her left eye, and gets dimples on her chin when she smiles; and she has just the cutest little laugh. She is so beautiful when she smiles and blushes and laughs and is just doing whatever. She is just so real and natural.

"She has this naturally nice personality; don't get me wrong, she can be mean and terrifying, and she is powerful and could have nearly anyone in this city disappear, but she doesn't abuse her power. She is so beautiful, so amazing that I can't believe I was stupid enough to leave her in the first place; but that doesn't matter.

"Because I am going to get her back; you were nothing but a place card, Sherry. I needed a distraction that was easy so I wouldn't think about Annabeth but I can't stop; I love her. I never loved you, and I never will. You are hateful and manipulative, you don't care about who you hurt to get to the top; you are an ugly person, inside and out." Scarecrow stopped and looked at her now teary eyed face, his own blank and he smiled slightly, "Now how about you go rant to your Facebook friends or Twitter followers about how I am a jerk or something; I am done with you."

"No-"she lunged forward and jumped on his lap, grabbing his shoulders she yanked his lips to her desperately. Scarecrow grabbed her waist to attempt to get her off, narrowing his eyes angrily. He finally got her off as he heard a car accelerate behind him; turning he faintly saw the tail end of a blue vehicle round the corner but didn't have time to wonder as Sherry began sobbing, "Please Jonathan- I'll change!"

"No thanks," he pushed her off and stood, "that is why I prefer Annabeth; she would never change for anyone, especially for me; like I said before, you are just too easy."

**XXX**

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL YOU FAITHFUL READERS!**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Seriously; I turn seventeen today, and having your birthday on Thanksgiving or right next to it really sucks. I don't mind the feast, and none of my presents really get cut down because you don't actually present on Thanksgiving; but everyone is like with their families and I end up having my party a week ahead or a week later and god this is such a spoiled white girl problem. **

**Any who did you guys like this chapter? I know it isn't really fluffy like Halloween but there are multiple important future plot details that needed to get done so yeah. **

**What will Annabeth do about seeing Scarecrow on the bench with Sherry mauling his face; will she still show up for coffee next chapter? Who knows? I know you guys can't predict Annabeth's actions because most chapters I can't even predict her actions, and I created her! I just know that some of the things she does just like pops in my head while I am writing the chapters, and there have been times where I have had to go back right before submitting the document as a chapter because something came to me.**

**This is the third draft I made; because in the second draft I actually had Annabeth call him while he was breaking up with Sherry to see if he wanted to join her family for Thanksgiving because Angelica and the triplets wanted to see him, and he agreed. That version was certainly fluffier then this final one; but I felt as though to go where I want to go and do what I have to do, they still have to be a little distant. **

**Thank you all for taking time to read this chapter, and I can't wait to see you guys next Tuesday/Wednesday for the next chapter!**

**-Sketch1997**


	16. Of Course It Is Snowing

**Hey special thanks to for following Beautiful Lie;**

**And a special thanks to Tarley Quinn, EisForElephant and Jovie Black for Favoring Beautiful Lie!**

**XXX**

"What do you mean he is already engaged to someone else?" Annabeth demanded, her arms crossed as she stared at Jamie, "Just last week Ronald was trying to get me back; who the hell else is there?"

"Uh," he flipped through the file, before throwing it on Annabeth's kitchen counter and throwing his hands up in defeat, "yeah we don't know that yet; only that is he engaged to some blonde. He is supposed to be bringing her to the Christmas party so you will see her there."

"God I hate him," she hissed, pouring a cup of coffee as she handed one to Jamie, "he is such a-"

"Let's forget about him!" Jamie interrupted, clapping his hands and taking the coffee, "for now, let's focus on your date with that cutie Crane!"

"It is just coffee, nothing more," Annabeth muttered, looking away, "and I don't think I'm just going to bail."

"What?" Jamie looked appalled, "but- but he is so adorable! I mean holy butter crackers girl; he is like perfect!"

"You don't get it;" Annabeth sighed, setting the coffee down as she walked to the balcony, "I saw him-"

"Yeah you told me," Jamie joined her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "but I think not talking about it would ruin whatever chance at love you got; Annie, you have to not run from your problems and what you dislike, but you have to confront it. You are a DiCario, and a DiCario's pride is everything."

"Isn't pride a deadly sin?"

"God Annabeth I am trying to give you a pep talk!"

"Well it isn't working!" Annabeth shouted, walking into her room she looked at the random clothes on her bed, "I'm not going."

"YOU HAVE TO GO." Jamie grabbed Annabeth's shoulders and turned her, shaking her slightly, "YOU CANT STAY SINGLE FOREVER!"

"Okay," she pushed him back gently, "But I bet you a hundred dollars here and now that nothing will happen between the two of us, mark my words."

"I'll hold you to it, darling," he laughed, picking up a soft light blue dress, "how about this one? You've always looked so beautiful in blue."

**XXX**

"Why the hell did you agree to meet her?" Jonathan paced back and forth in his apartment; having just learned he was to meet Annabeth in an hour, "I mean seriously Scarecrow! You had almost a week to tell me, and you didn't bother!"

'**Eh,'** Scarecrow was relaxed, slightly content, **'I'm sick of hearing you whine and you being all mopey. And technically, I didn't agree; I asked her to meet us.'**

"What about Sherry?"

'Oh, yeah,' Scarecrow laughed, **'you don't have to worry about her anymore; we broke up with her on Thanksgiving.'**

"Why?"

'**Because, now Peach has no one to be jealous of, and she will be less hostile on this date.'**

"Oh no," Jonathan continued to pace, he waved his arm as if brushing something off, "this isn't a date; this is just a cup of coffee so we can catch up. Nothing more."

**XXX**

"You've got to be kidding me," Jonathan stared accusingly at the small white spot on his window, glaring as another flake joined it, "it cannot be snowing."

'**Well it is winter-'**Scarecrow thought bitterly as Jonathan turned to the impending snow clouds that was overtaking Gotham's sky.

"Yeah but right now?" Jonathan groaned, letting his head thump against the steering wheel, "Maybe this is a sign- we should cancel coffee."

'**Oh no- Don't you dare make me take over. We are going to coffee, and you will enjoy it.'**

**XXX**

"Seriously," Annabeth flinched when the snow flake hit her shoulder; she stood on the balcony, glaring at the storm that was waiting to blow in, "It is not going to snow now; it has better not snow."

"Sweetheart," Jamie laughed, holding out his hand as is to catch a little white flake, "it's December, winter is here! It is bound to snow, silly girl."

"But it just has to snow when I plan on meeting Jonathan," she muttered, walking back into her room as she grabbed a pair of black pants and a grey long sleeve shirt, "Maybe I should call and tell him to forget it; he shouldn't be driving in a storm."

"Oh hell no," Jamie grabbed her hand that had been previously reaching for her phone, "You are going to coffee, and you will have fun, trust me."

**XXX**

"Ah," Wayne, a sixteen year old boy who worked at the café part time looked up when Annabeth entered, "Miss DiCario, there is a storm coming and the boss just called and told me to lock up."

"Go ahead and go," she said with a wave of the hand, "I am meeting a friend here, and I am sure that your boss won't mind."

"No problem!" He continued cleaning and was out within five minutes; and Annabeth laughed, of course the shop would end up closing early today-

"Annabeth," Jonathan was walking in the shop- when did he get here? –wearing a dark winter coat, red scarf, and dark pants. His glasses were crooked and his hair tasseled, and his cheeks were slightly pink from the cold. He looked adorable.

"Jonathan," she greeted, setting down a cup of tea in front of him as she walked around the counter, "how are you?"

"Alright, a bit cold," he shrugged, "and you?"

"It's snowing outside," she answered, averting her eyes, "so obviously I'm cold."

"Yes." He nodded and took a sip.

"Of course."

"Naturally."

"Seems only right and fitting."

"…What are we doing?" he finally asked, smiling as a small laugh left him; she soon let loose her own laugh and pretty soon they were cracking up.

"What are we doing?" she murmured her smiling disappearing as she looked down; she heard his tea cup be placed down and felt a warm hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up to Jonathan, "I mean really Jonathan, what we are doing here?"

"I believe," he said after a moment, his eyes slightly conflicted, "that we are both offering one another a second chance."

"At what?" She whispered, leaning forward slightly.

"At us," he lowered his voice to nearly a murmur, leaning forward himself, "Annabeth I'm sorry, I shouldn't have expected everything to work out so perfectly; and I understand why you have your doubts and worries."

"I'm sorry," she began softly, "I shouldn't have been so hateful, and I should have accepted both Scarecrow and you both and have told you if I didn't-"

He kissed her; it wasn't demanding, wasn't quick, wasn't passionate, but it was the most beautiful thing Annabeth had ever felt. She could have stayed like that all night, had a large clap of thunder sounded outside and caused Annabeth jump.

Their attention went to the outside world, and when they walked over to one of the windows they found a horribly beautiful mixture of ice, water, and snow pelting outside. It looked like Gotham couldn't decide between whether it wanted to rain or snow, so it created this strange and fascinating combination.

"Well," Scarecrow mused, "looks like Mother Nature wants to be a bitch."

"She usually is," Annabeth agreed; smiling until a nasty thought appeared out of nowhere: Sherry Squires.

"Scarecrow…." Annabeth began slowly, looking up to Jonathan's alter, "what ever happened with Sherry? Are you two still a thing?"

"Oh no," he laughed, smiling down at her widely, "I ended it with her Thanksgiving, Peach."

"At the park?" she asked bitterly, looking away and biting her lip. Scarecrow knitted his eye brows together and he gently grabbed her arm, "Peach; how did you-"

"It was hard to miss her practically sitting on your lap," she mumbled, jealousy burning in her chest as she turned further away.

"Ah Annie sweet heart," he chastised, "that harpy was giving it one last attempt to woo me is all, I was attempting to push her off. I don't want her Peach; I want you, and only you."

He kissed her; this was Scarecrow, so this was different. It was passionate, it was desperate and needy and suffocating; it made Annabeth felt missed, important, and she loved it.

"We need to go slow this time," Jonathan gasped, pulling away as he finally gained control, "last time, we went to fast and that is what went wrong; we expected too much of one another. This time, we have to be careful, Annabeth; I don't want to hurt you again."

"You didn't hurt me," she lied softly; finally she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, "but yeah, we should go slowly so it doesn't ruin."

"I don't want to lose you," Jonathan whispered, his arms tightening around her as if to keep her there forever, "never again; please Annabeth don't ever leave me again."

"You left me," she whispered, reminding him gently, "you wanted the break; but I understand. I will never leave you Jonathan, or you Scarecrow; I will stay with you both for forever."

"Forever," he agreed.

**XXX**

"Are you sure?" She stood leaning against her bedroom door, looking at Jonathan who was placing a blanket on the couch, "I mean, I know you said you wanted to go slow but I have a perfectly good bed in here."

"I will be alright Annabeth." Jonathan smiled, "I don't want to ruin this; I can sleep out here."

"Okay," she held up her hands in defeat, "but the storm won't let up for a couple of days…. And just so it's clear, my door is open."

"Got it," Jonathan smiled, and Annabeth rolled her eyes as she walked into the bedroom. She changed, and it wasn't anything skimpy it was simply a pair of shorts and a tank top; it was what she usually wore. She crawled into bed and smiled, closing her eyes she whispered softly, "good night, Johnny, Scarecrow."

**XXX**

"Good night, Annie," Jonathan mumbled, staring at the ceiling of the living room as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the blankets and the scent of Annabeth.

'**Can't we just join her in the bedroom- we don't have to sleep with her we could just, ya know, sleep with her.'**

"No, Scarecrow."

'**You're no fun; as soon as you fall asleep, I am going in that bedroom.'**

"You wouldn't dare."

'**Try me.'**

**XXX**

"I take it Jonathan is asleep?" Annabeth murmured groggily when she felt an arm wrap around her waist and a warm body press against her back.

"You take correctly," Scarecrow answered, pressing his forehead to her shoulder, "he wants to go slow; but what do you really want."

"I want things to be the way they were," Annabeth answered truthfully, "I want a lot of things Scarecrow. I want my mother to be alive; I want my brother to admit his feelings to Callan; I want to get a male lynx for Zoey so she could be happy like I am; I want you and Jonathan to never look at another woman let alone hold one like you do me."

"I want you to be happy," Scarecrow kissed her cheek, "and I will do whatever it takes for me to get what I want."

**XXX**

**Guys oh my god I am tired. Well, I know I said Annie and Johnny would have their space and they will! But, I have been like crying myself to sleep at night until I got them together; so they are in a relationship now but they won't be as close as they were so quickly. **

**Important to know also, this was just a filler chapter! So I know not much happened, but you guys have just gotta realize in order for the show to go on you need to set the stage and cast the actors. **

**Anyways, until next week,**

**-Sketch1997**


	17. Scars and Pizza

Special Thanks to StarlightMoon98, aqoamoon and for following Beautiful Lie,

And another special thanks to for favoring Beautiful Lie!

XXX

"So are we ever going to get the Canadians back for, you know, trying to make our last drug trade go kersplat?" As if to prove his point, Chris made a movement of something exploding on the counter and Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Yes Chris, that is what we are fixing to do right now."

"Really?"

"Yes you idiot, now shut up and grab your gun."

It had been decided it was finally time to strike; the DiCarios gave the Bleists time to sweat out what was coming their way and now they were ready for revenge.

Annabeth, Chris and Shelby would be blowing up a bank; the Bleist's number one bank to be specific. It would appear as a robbery, they would blow the bank on their way out, and then the fun part came with what they were going to do with the money afterwards.

"When are we going to rob the bank?" Chris asked as he pulled out a black ski mask, "I mean, is this going to be covert or obvious?"

"We rob the bank at noon, by 12:15 we have the money, and no later than 12:30 we get rid of the money; Chris this isn't that difficult, just do as father instructed." Annabeth pulled out her own mask and Chris whined, "Aw, why is your mask so awesome?"

"It's not different then your mask, Chris."

"Yeah it is; you get a white one, I am stuck with a back one!"

"Racist," Shelby teased, walking into the kitchen with a hot pink ski mask; Annabeth eyed it doubtfully, "Shelby, what the hell?"

"She gets to pick her own color?" Chris demanded; Shelby shrugged, "Daddy said I could chose whatever color I wanted."

"Okay look; it really doesn't matter what color your mask are-" Annabeth began but was cut off by her brother, "Yeah it does Annie! I have been dealt an injustice!"

"God," Christopher walked in and stared at his children, "you are just robbing a damn bank; the only reason you have the masks are so they don't know who did it."

"They will know," Annabeth argued while shaking her head; Chris and Shelby nodded in agreement, "but isn't that the point?"

"Kind of," Their father replied looking at Shelby, "don't worry about it sweetie; just follow Annabeth's lead, this isn't her first bank robbery."

XXX

"Are you ready?" Annabeth looked back at Shelby, her eyes softening as she stared at her younger sister; "you don't have to worry, Shelby; everything will be fine."

"How many banks have you robbed?" Shelby demanded, her eyes snapping up as her breath hitched, "what if someone gets hurt; or they catch us-"

"Would you like to stay in the car?" Annabeth interrupted, a cold but bored tone becoming her voice as she let her eyes wander over the citizens of Gotham; they walked past with no idea what was about to take place, "Because Chris and I can do this without you."

"No but-"

Annabeth tuned her out as her eyes focused on a man standing on the opposite side of the street; his own crystal blue eyes locked on her. Jonathan had a curious look on his face and Annabeth mentally swore; of course he would be at the bank across from the one she was robbing, that was typically how her luck went. But damn at the exact same time; Annabeth couldn't risk him getting in the way.

She pressed a single finger to her lips; god please let him understand, please let him just leave her be for right now. He pressed his lips in a thin line and gave the smallest nod as he backed up a small step, causing Annabeth to sigh in slight relief as she smiled and nodded.

"Then let's go; Chris signal the men." Annabeth pulled over the mask and loaded her gun opening the door to the vehicle as Chris called the van full of men that was across the street. Shelby scrambled out of the car; practically holding Annabeth's sleeve as they hurried up the steps.

"In and out," Chris stated from behind them, giving the orders to the bulky ten men following them, "kill everyone immediately; no survivors."

As she reached the top step, Annabeth looked back at Jonathan who had allowed his eyes to follow her movements with rapt attention. She stared for a mille second before turning back to the doors.

"Let's make it snappy people," Annabeth growled; she opened the door and took her gun of safety.

XXX

"I hate the bank," Jonathan grumbled, standing outside one of Gotham's larger ones as he counted his withdraw, "I really, really do."

'Well you are the one who insisted that we pull out the savings- is that Peach?' Jonathan's eyes focused on no other than Annabeth herself; she sat in a black car, a man in the driver's seat and another girl in the back seat. She was scanning the sidewalks until her eyes landed on him, sharpening.

They held one another's gaze for a moment before Annabeth put a finger to her lips; ordering him to stay silent. He nodded and backed up slightly; she smiled and nodded before turning behind her to the girl and saying something, pulling over a black mask and loading a gun.

'Is she going to rob a bank?!'

'It would seem so.' They watched as she got out with the two others following; a group of men parked a little whiles away from Jonathan, started after Annabeth and her companions. They walked up the steps to the bank across the street from Jonathan; Annabeth glanced back at him slightly before walking into the bank.

"We should leave," Jonathan mused, walking down the side walk away from the bank that was currently being robbed by his girlfriend, "if she gets caught, we wouldn't want to be an asset."

'Nothing speaks true love like not wanting to fall because of the others crimes,' Scarecrow cackled and Jonathan smiled as his alter continued, 'do we have a date with her set any time soon?'

'No.'

'Well set one; I want to find out the story behind her robbing a bank.'

XXX

Annabeth sighed as the men started to drag the money past her and out the door, "Guys we have to hurry if we want to make it to the city hall in time, move it!"

"Yes mam," they all chorused; a few nodding towards her as Annabeth looked to Shelby, "Are you okay?"

"Why did we have to kill everyone?" She whispered, looking at the roughly two dozen motionless bodies that were stain red, "we didn't have to."

"Yes, we did," Annabeth walked forward and placed her hand on Shelby's shoulder, "this isn't a pretty business; we had to show them not to mess with us or they would have just done it again. We killed them in retaliation for the men that we lost when our last shipment at the docks went south; people need to realize they can't mess with us."

"But-"

"We are ready to go," Chris stated, grabbing their shoulders and steering them towards the doors, "you can argue on how to rob a bank later." They walked out of the bank and Annabeth swore when she heard the sirens in the distance, "get in the car and keep it running; and pop the trunk."

While Chris was following Annabeth's orders she scanned the streets; sighing in relief when she confirmed Jonathan was no longer anywhere in sight.

"Hurry!" Chris shouted as the trunk opened and two cop cars came flying around the corner; Annabeth grimaced as she rummaged through the trunk, "found it."

She pulled out the round, flat disk and pressed her palm to it; a light gold ring glowed about half way into the circle, causing Annabeth to smile. Her eyes flickered up to the cop cars as she counted silently in her head, waiting precisely five seconds before throwing it like a Frisbee to where it landed under one of the now stopping cop cars.

After another three seconds, she heard a high pitched squeal before the cars went up in flames, vaulting upwards from the explosion the disk caused. The officers scrambled out of reach of the flames, but by time they turned to attempt to apprehend the masked robbers, they were already gone.

XXX

"What was that silver Frisbee thing?" Shelby asked curiously, breaking the silence of the car that had ensued after leaving the bank, "the explosive one."

"Uncle Bob's design," Annabeth answered, playing Jetpack Joyride on her phone while she waited to arrive at City Hall, "It's a bomb; after you detonate it you have roughly eight seconds to throw it. The high pitched sound it releases is supposed to stung the enemy, not giving them time to process that a bomb is about to go off; but in the end it is just annoying."

"Okay, and why am I just learning about it?"

"Well this was your first field mission," Annabeth shrugged, shutting off her phone as they pulled in front of their destination, "and a successful one at that."

"The cops showed up!"

"Yeah, but on my first field mission I ended up getting in a gun fight and getting shot;" Annabeth pulled up the bottom of her turtle neck, showing Shelby the faded round scar that blemished her stomach, "nothing serious but still. The only reason we ended up escaping was because we had a potato gun in the back of the car and used it to stun the chief of police. They weren't expecting flying potatoes; and that surprise is what helped us escape."

"That sounds incredibly ridiculous," Shelby stated; an easy smile had spread across her face though, her eyes softening. Annabeth looked at the crowd that had gathered at the steps of the City Hall, smiling herself, "tell the boys its time."

"Nightingale says to make it rain," Chris muttered into his ear piece and Annabeth rolled her eyes, not getting why her brother was so into those damn code names. A few moments of silence rain in the car as its passengers watched the city hall, waiting for the event she had been looking forward to during the heist; and then it happened.

A shout went up from the crowd as bills in ones, fives, and tens even hundreds came raining down in the wind from atop city hall. At that moment, it didn't matter who the money had belonged to because now it was free game.

"I guess this was a successful heist." Shelby mused out loud, smiling as she watched one of the reporters catch a hundred dollar bill.

"Take us home, Chris." Annabeth laughed, "We have to tell father."

XXX

"Great job, Shelby," Christopher smiled at her; they stood in his office, Shelby slightly in front of the other two while her father praised her, "and you didn't even get shot!"

"Hey!" Annabeth exclaimed; but she too was smiling at Shelby, "the only reason she didn't get shot is because she didn't have you covering her back."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Christopher warned, his tone playful; he pulled out a box from his desk and turned his attention back to Shelby, "Since you completed your first field mission, it is time you gain your very own ring."

It was identical to Annabeth's; silver and thin, with the family crest imbedded in it and a gold stone on either side of the crest.

"Why is my stone gold, when Annabeth's is a garnet?"

"Yours is a topaz," Annabeth commented, looking over Shelby's shoulder, "that's your birthstone; mine is a red garnet; because my birthday is in January."

"Oh." Shelby let her eyes flicker to Annabeth's ring finger and sure enough, a ring similar to hers rested on her finger with the exception that it had a blood red stone resting on it; and there were diamonds, "why does yours have diamonds?"

"Because I am the oldest," Annabeth shrugged, placing her hand by her father's to show that indeed, the eldest of both generations on their rings.

XXX

"Hey Peach," Jonathan's voice was tired through the phone, "you want to go to dinner tonight? Maybe Isabell's?"

"No," Annabeth sighed, rubbing her eyes, "I'm tired; it's been a long day. But if you want to come over and order a pizza, that would be great."

"Sounds wonderful Annie," Annabeth could hear his smile over the phone, "I'll be over in about fifteen minutes."

XXX

"A rite of passage?" Jonathan clarified in disbelief, "performing a bank robbery is a rite of passage in your family."

"Exactly," Annabeth laughed, setting her coke down, "I'm glad you understand."

"It is most definitely… strange."

"Oh and your family never had any strange traditions?"

"Annie," Jonathan sighed, his eyes darkening, "none other than mental and physical torture." He looked away and the mood fell, causing Annabeth to frown, "Johnny."

He looked up and Annabeth saw it; the mental weight of all he had gone through. Before she could comment, he suddenly proposed, "I suppose it was nothing more the physical abuse usually; I still have the marks."

"The marks-"

"Here," he pulled off his t-shirt and turned, showing the very faded but many scars that littered his back. Her eyes widened as she took it in; how had she never noticed how many there were? With the touch light as a feather, she slowly trailed her hand down his back carefully as he listed what he got them from:

Her hand traced his left shoulder, "that one was from when she pushed me down the stairs-"

To his right shoulder, "the claw marks from the wild coyote that happened in my room mysteriously-"

Trailed to his right side, "ah yes, that was from when I tried to get out of hitting range of her and she grabbed the kitchen knife."

She couldn't take it anymore; she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her lips to his shoulder, "stop, please stop."

He hummed and she hugged him tighter; she could take so much, she could do so much, but whenever she had to face someone she loved that was hurt she couldn't take it. She couldn't deal with their painful expressions; and the way he talked about it so nonchalantly….

"You've faced worse," he commented, turning when he felt her start to shake, "you don't need to worry-"

"But it does matter because I didn't protect you!" She whispered, her voice angry and shameful.

"You didn't even know me," Jonathan dead panned; he turned around fully and lifted her chin slightly, looking into her eyes with a cold fire, "it's not your fault I was hurt; it was Granny's. Stop feeling guilty for things that are completely out of your control and that are useless as of now."

"Here," she mumbled, echoing him from earlier as she pulled away and took off her shirt; he obviously wasn't looking at her scars though, and Annabeth blushed, "Jonathan. Pay attention." She gently took his hand and let it brush her lower torso, "this is a bullet wound that I received on my first heist-"

She let it brush her left leg, a little above the knee cap, "this is where I was bitten by a man who was trying to escape interrogation-"

Finally, she placed his hand on the back of her neck, at the base of the skull, "right here: I was in a car accident when I was six, and shrapnel hit the back of my head; it is usually what causes my headaches."

He stared at her for a moment before leaning forward and taking her lips carefully; he acted as if the smallest thing, the smallest kiss, would spin them out of control and crash their relationship again. Annie could understand, so when he said it was getting late she agreed he should get back to his home.

That night, Annabeth lay in her bed as she slowly stroked Zoe's head; Jonathan had left hours ago. She couldn't help but wonder if it would ever be the same; if Johnny or even Scarecrow would look at her like they did before, like she was the center of their world.

Vaguely, as she was drifting off to sleep, Annabeth mused on inviting Jonathan to the Christmas Party that her family held. She decided it might be best if she would.

XXX

Author's Note:

Sup? How's life been treating all of you; I hope well.

Anyways, a few things:

1- I have had a lot of filler chapters lately, and I would like to let you know that we will be getting along good now with the story plot.

2- You all are amazing people for following my story. Seriously, you guys are like the best.

3- I received a PM a few days ago stating that I should feel ashamed for all I have done. Said person went on to say I am a hypocrite, for the whole "Don't need reviews to continue" and that I should just delete this story because it was obviously not doing well because I had so little reviews.  
Guys, seriously.  
I have another Crane/OC story, and that person is saying that the reason I haven't updated that story is because it isn't getting that much love- but I am being straight up when I say that it isn't the reason I haven't updated it.  
I'm letting you all know, to avoid another hateful PM, that the reason I haven't updated the story is because I absolutely HATE where it is, and am going to completely rewrite it so it is better for all of my followers.  
I am not trying to be a hypocrite; I seriously don't need reviews. I recently read a Loki/OC story that was amazing and had a great plot and characters and shit but the author posted that it was discontinued because they weren't getting enough reviews.  
When I update my stories, when I respond to my reviews, I keep my own interests in mind. I understand how it feels to lose a story you love, or am mildly interested in. I am doing this because I want to, and because obviously I must be doing something right to have so many amazing, wonderful and tasteful followers.

If you don't like my story then fine, just go read another great Crane/OC like Scarecrows in the Field 1 &amp; 2, or Love is Merely Madness, or Obsession. There are plenty, and no one needs to get upset at one particular one because it isn't going the way they want it to go.

I love you guys, I really do, and the only reason I will not finish this story is if I die. Never, ever, abandon a story or your fandom.

Till next Tuesday/Wednesday,

-Sketch1997


	18. A Good Thing

**A special thanks to ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp and EmmaRose68135 for following Beautiful Lie,**

**And a special thanks to ZabuzasGirl and Thisisnotsparta99 for favoring Beautiful Lie!**

**Lilies and Bobcats: thank you, it really means a lot to me to know that someone looks forward to my story every week.**

**Johanna Crane (Guest): I completely agree that I do need to go back and fix all the grammatical errors; but I plan on doing that once I finish the story and fix my other story. I really appreciate your feedback, and yes I realize Jonathan is a bit OOC, and I am working on fixing that. And yes, I am a chick.**

**XXX**

"Johnny sweet heart be a bit easier on the poor kids," Annabeth chasted softly, watching him as he graded his student's final exams, "they probably have a hundred other things on their minds, they are trying their hardest."

"IDIOTS." He snarled, massacring one of the student's paper with red, "I MEAN HONESTLY DO THESE PEOPLE STUDY?"

Annabeth smiled and turned her attention back to the television; Jonathan was sitting to her right with a laptop resting on the arm of the couch and papers scattered all around him, while Zoe was to her left with her head resting in her mistress's lap as Annabeth stroked her head. And they were watching Attack on Titan.

"YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR EXAM IN A RED PEN." He snarled lowly, "SHE THINKS SHE IS SOOO SMART. WELL SHE ISNT." Annabeth turned back to him with a raised eye brow as he pulled out a black pen and started grading her exam, "SHE ISNT SMART. I AM THE SMART ONE HERE; SHE IS JUST A MINDLESS STUDENT."

Annabeth's eyes flickered back to the television once more before deciding what Jonathan was doing was much more interesting and his comments were much funnier:

"YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP"

"Red Pen again? SEROIUSLY?"

"NO."

"I told them to study? Didn't I tell them to study, Scarecrow?"

"How in the HELL did they get that answer?"

"In what world would that possibly work?"

"Alright, this kid is alright."

"NO."

"UGH YOU LITTLE BITCH- FUCKING RED PEN AGAIN. I suspect the only reason she used a red pen is because she has some sort of cheating scheme. They think they are so clever but they aren't; they are just brats."

"NO."

"I resent this girl's parents inability to use a condom."

"She thinks she is so special with a red pen! What are you doing with a red pen?"

"Well guess who isn't passing my class?"

"GOD, what is it with these student?"

"Jonathan take it easy," Annabeth commanded as he placed the papers on the table, leaning back and covering his face with his hands he sighed loudly, "GOD I hate students."

"Did you hate me when I was your student?" Annabeth questioned softly as Zoe got up and disappeared somewhere in the house; Jonathan looked at her tiredly and extended a hand, which she took as he pulled her over closer to him, "No, you were the best student I ever had."

"Oh?" She moved to where she was straddling his lap and letting her hands roam his shoulders, "even though I was only your student for like a couple of months?"

"Mm-hm," he hummed softly and he wrapped his arms around her waist, "Annabeth, I've been thinking; about us."

"Really?" She asked her heart freezing and her chest going cold as the possibilities as what he wants to say ran through her head, "what about us?"

"The whole 'taking it slow' thing. I don't think it will work out."

"…what?"

"Isn't it natural, that once you gain something that makes you happy you want more of it? Wellbeing with you makes me happy; but I was my happiness when we weren't trying to start over. I think that-"

Annabeth didn't give him a chance to finish, she pressed her lips to his, silencing him. At first he stiffened, but after a moment he relaxed and let his arms tighten around her waist, "Annie…."

"Does this mean we can have sex now?" Annabeth suddenly exclaimed, leaning back with wide eyes and a happy smile.

"Actually yes-"Jonathan began but was cut off by Annabeth's phone. She glared at the item and would have ignored it but then she saw who it was; her father.

"Yes sir?" Annabeth sighed, leaning away from Jonathan slightly.

"There is an immediate sit down," Her father stated through the phone in a tight voice, "one hour, at Carmine's."

"I'll meet you at the house in thirty minutes."

"Very good," he commented before hanging up. Annabeth looked to Jonathan with a small pout, "I have to go; will you wait?"

"Always," he sighed, kissing her once more before she had to get up to get ready.

**XXX**

"Do you know what this is about, exactly?" Chris questioned softly as they walked up the steps to Carmine's manor, "I mean, for a sit down to be so abrupt…"

"It might be nothing," Annabeth answered back softly, "but be prepared. It might be over last week's heist."

"Admit to nothing," Christopher growled, taking on a fake pleasant face as the doors opened and they walked into find the other families.

"Ah, DiCarios!" Carmine smiled widely, "I was wondering when you would get here, we have very important things to discuss!"

"Like what?" Christopher commented coolly, taking his usual spot right next to Carmine, "This was a very sudden meeting, Carmine."

"Yeah," Tetchen grumbled, tapping his fingers against the table in agitation, "I was in middle of drug trade!"

"I was opening a new strip club," Gambol grumbled under his breath, glaring at the table.

"I was in the middle of planning the Christmas party," Annabeth's father put in lowly, "what have you called us here for, Carmine?"

"Actually," Carmine grinned wickedly, causing Annabeth to slightly shudder, "it is concerning the Bleist and their little _mob_." Annabeth blinked and looked around, slightly elated that she saw none of the Canadians here.

"They are nothing but a nuisance," Maroni hissed angrily, "do you know what they did just yesterday? They showed up at my place, interrogating me about one of their banks being robbed; they had the nerve to blame us for it! Even a blind man could have seen it was the DiCarios!"

"They showed up at my place accusing me and my boys of the same thing!" Gambol exclaimed, his eyes wide, "the nerve! With all due respect, Don Falcone, can't we just off the damn pests?"

The other families breathed their consent for the removal of the Bleists, Annabeth more than others; after all, Ronald had done nothing but caused her trouble. Carmine stayed silent, watching the other families carefully for a few moments until raising his hand, efficiently cutting off all noise as they waited for his verdict.

"The Bleists are one the of the lesser families," Carmine stated slowly, thinking carefully, "if you all feel the same way after New Year's, then we shall discuss it more then. For now, let us enjoy the Holidays and cherish our loved ones; meeting adjourned."

**XXX**

Jonathan sighed as he placed the final paper in front of him, relieved to have finished grading. He looked to his left and froze; Zoe sat by the front door, her body still and tawny eyes sharp.

"What do you want?" Jonathan asked hesitantly, gathering his things and placing them all in his brief case; he was willing to wait for Annabeth outside, but he wasn't about to become lynx kibble.

'**Aw Johnny scared of an itty bitty kitty?'**

'_That cat is huge, there is no way I am going to provoke it.'_

'**Aw you're just scared- oh shit it is coming this way.' Sure** enough, the lynx was slowly making its way to Jonathan, her tail swishing behind her as she froze under his blue gaze. They sized one another up for a moment before Zoe suddenly snarled and leapt forward, tackling Jonathan to the couch.

She grabbed his coat that was resting on the back of the couch, and scrambled away, heading towards Annabeth's room.

"What- hey!" He jumped up and chased the cat, pausing in the door way to Annabeth's room to see the cat sitting on the bed; Jonathan's coat was resting under her paws as she looked at him expectantly.

'**I think it wants to play.'**

'_Well I don't want to play with the cat- I am tired and just want to relax. AND, that was a very expensive_ _suit piece.'_

'**Well then get it back.'**

**XXX**

"Jonathan?" Annabeth asked cautiously as she stepped into her apartment; his car hadn't been out front, but then again he had walked to her apartment.

The living room was dark, and it was all silent- no, Annabeth could hear snoring.

She slowly crept forward, her eyes resting on the figure that lay on the couch; Jonathan lay with one arm resting on his stomach, the other thrown over his face as light snores let his parted lips. In his hand, he clutched his dark blue jacket; Annabeth smiled and let her eyes drift to Zoe, who had one of Jonathan's jacket sleeve under her paw and was sound asleep.

She grabbed a blanket and threw it over Jonathan, pressing her lips to his forehead she whispered goodnight in the softest voice, before turning back to her bedroom intent on getting a full night's sleep.

**XXX**

"Your cat tried to steal my jacket last night," Jonathan grumbled, flipping the page in the newspaper and letting his eyes peek over the top. Annabeth had her back to him, her eyes never wandering from the pancakes she was determined not to burn, "oh? She was just getting used to you; but don't worry, she will be back at my family's house tomorrow."

"Ah…. Why was she here in the first place?"

"I was lonely," Annabeth shrugged; she smiled in triumph as she placed the perfect pancakes on the plate and walked them over to Jonathan, "she was good company, but I have grown tired of sweeping my couch for cat hair."

"I see," he placed the paper down and smiled at her; he gripped her waist and pulled her close with a devilish smirk, "you know… we never got to finish last night…"

"I know," she murmured, gently running her hands through his hair and leaning down; she paused right before her lips met his and smiled in mischief, "but you have to go to work; and I have to go Christmas shopping."

She pulled back despite the small noise of protest he made; laughing as he cried indignantly, "I can just get a substitute! Annie, sweetheart; don't do that to me, baby come back!"

**XXX**

"Have a wonderful day with your students and their red pen fetishes," Annabeth breathed, kissing his lips gently and hugging him closer when a sharp December wind swept by. They stood outside her front door, his brief case was kept loosely in his hand as he looked down to her, "I'm sure it will be great; have fun with your Christmas shopping."

She hummed, "Yeah, I have to find a dress for the Christmas party- oh that reminds me, you are going to that."

"Pardon?"

"The triplets have been asking about you; my father and brother want to meet you; I want to prove to my aunt I actually have a boyfriend; you are coming." She never broke eye contact but did smile, "It will be fun; you get to have Christmas turkey with a bunch of murderers, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and drug dealers!"

"Oh that does sound like fun." He kissed her once more, "I will see you after work, Annie."

"Bye!"

**XXX**

**Author's Note: **

**Guys I realize this isn't up to par with other chapters; and not much goes on. I just need you guys to bear with me until after the Christmas party chapter because that is where we will start heading towards the end of this story. **

**Thanks again to all who favored and followed; and a seriously special thanks to all those who reviewed. The only time I really want you guys to review is when I have made a mistake and haven't quite caught it yet, or when I need to know serious stuff about my story. **

**If everything goes well for this story, then we might be wrapping it up sometime in February or March; it really depends on the fact that I have a dozen other stories I want to do.**

**So, any of you guys watch "Gotham"? The one they decided needed a wicked fall finale and wanted to make us wait to see what happens next? The wait isn't as bad as the whole "Marvel's Agents of SHEILD" though (I MEAN SERIOUSLY; MARCH?!) **

**Outraged.**

**Anyways, until next week; **

**-Sketch1997**


	19. Christmas Parties and Boyfriend Bullets

**Special thanks to bleachlover202, luna lily moon and Stunningly Magic for following Beautiful Lie;**

**As well as a Special thanks to MarvelGeek13 for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Animated Innovation: the hiatus is absolutely AWFUL. But it still isn't worse than the one for Agents of Shield; they are making us wait until March for that show. **

**Johanna Crane (Guest): Dude, you weren't harsh. You were serious, and that is really what I am looking for in my reviews; if I make mistakes I need to know about them, and you weren't rude about it or didn't give any flames, you were respectable. As for which Falcone: picture him looking like Wilkinson's but with a personality of Doman's; later on he will transition more into the personality of Wilkinson. And for the Maroni, picture Eric Robert's; I just like that one better. Finally, I am glad you look forward to this chapter, and I really hope I don't disappoint.**

**XXX**

Annabeth stood in front of the body length mirror in her closet. She wore a deep blue dress that brushed the floor just barely, and had an almost glittery film over the bottom half. Her black hair was straight, neatly parted and she wore little make-up; her expression was worried as she ran her hand over her palm.

"Darling," Jonathan came up behind her; a dark suit similar to hers, "you look exquisite; there is no need to worry."

"I'm not worried," she lied, turning to gaze in his blue eyes, "I'm terrified." He stared down at her with a slightly crooked smile, "I can tell. But everything will be alright; this is just a party, correct?"

"With the DiCario's it is never just a party," she muttered, straighten his tie, "but I suppose we best just get it out of the way. Now will both of you behave tonight?"

"Of Course," Jonathan scoffed, "when do we ever misbehave?"

**XXX**

"Making eye contact is challenging her authority," Annabeth drilled, her hand linked with Jonathan's as they climbed the steps to her family's front door, "and if she wants to pinch your cheeks or hug you, let her. She is old Jonathan, literally the oldest DiCario; and if you think I am bad when angry then you won't survive her."

"Got it."

"And as for my uncles, you met Bob but you haven't met Darius, and he is the one you have to look out for. Darius is Bob's twin, younger by five minutes; please for the love of God do not get him started on any major American wars or battles, because he will not stop for hours."

"Uh-Hu."

"Then there is my aunt Maddie; I will war you now she has a strong Irish accent and just try to follow along when she talks. She is very much a….. Feminist I suppose you could say. But she isn't like those 'all men are evil'. Just try not to belittle her."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Are you ready?"

"As much as I will ever be." He smiled but she frowned; this was going to be a long night. She nodded to the door men and they opened them, allowing them to be engulfed in the crowd of Gotham's richest and it's deadliest.

**XXX**

"Hey Annie Grammy wants you to-"Shelby stopped dead as her eyes landed on Jonathan, "oh…. Hi."

"Hello," Jonathan answered; Annabeth mentally was dying of laughter because of Shelby's nervous shifting, "Annie I didn't realize you were bringing anyone."

"Shelby this is Jonathan," Annabeth introduced, "Jonathan, this is my sister Shelby."

"Ah, well it is a pleasure to meet you," Jonathan nodded; Shelby smiled tight lipped and nodded, "splendid meeting you as well; anyways, Gammy wants you in the library, Annabeth."

"Very well," she nodded and turned to Jonathan, "come along Jonathan, let me introduce you to Gammy."

**XXX**

"Darling I believe it best if you stay away from your ex." Gammy stared up at Annabeth with her lips in a thin line.

"What?"

"He has his new fiancé here and I don't think it would be wise for a fight to break out, especially since you do not have anyone."

"Okay, Gammy," Annabeth sighed, before smiling at the small woman, "firstly, no fight would break out. In fact I will probably feel bad for the poor woman who is now stuck with him. Secondly, I am not here alone; I have- oh shit."

"Language!" Gammy scolded, watching Annabeth whip back and forth as she desperately searched for someone, "Who are you looking for?"

"Jonathan!" Annabeth panicked, not finding the familiar dark head anywhere, "oh god he was just right here! I warned him to stay close, oh Gammy if you could excuse me…"

**XXX**

Jonathan followed Annabeth through the thick crowd of people, their hands held tightly to one another. As they entered what Jonathan assumed to be the library, Annabeth's hand loosened; which in the end could be considered the whole reason they separated in the first place.

A large hand clamped on Jonathan's shoulder and pulled him back before he could make a sound, pulling him out of the library discreetly and into the hallway. Once out they let go, and Jonathan, with narrowed eyes, turned to face his kidnapper.

"Johnny Boy!" It was Bob, "It's been a while since I last saw you, and how have you been?"

"Well, I suppose," Jonathan stared at the older man, a nasty feeling spreading through him, "and you?"

"Oh, I am alright; say, have you met Christian?"

"Christian?"

"Ah yes, Annabeth's oldest brother. He's been in the military but he is backing now, wanted to surprise Annie before anyone else, his own wife hasn't seen him yet." Bob motioned for a man to come forward, "Christian, this is Jonathan, Annie's boyfriend."

"Ah, it's a pleasure," Christian shook Jonathan's hand. It was amazing, how much he looked like Annabeth; same hair, eyes, height, it was a wonder that they weren't twins.

"Likewise," Jonathan smiled at him, "So you are here to surprise Annabeth?"

"Ah yeah," His smile widened, "I've missed her something fiacre; and now that I am back-"

"Jonathan!" All three men turned to see Annabeth coming out of the library. She had a panicked look on her face, but when her eyes landed on Jonathan she relaxed, her posture losing its tension, "what happened to not wandering off- Christian?!"

"Hey sis-"he didn't have time to continue as she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms over the slightly taller man as she laughed, "Damn Annie- I can't breathe!"

"Oh my god," She pulled back and stared at him, hazel eyes reflecting, "What are you doing here? Who else knows your back?"

"Only Uncle Bob and Aunt Maddie," he smiled and took a step back, "I am fixing to go to the main room to surprise everyone."

"Well you have fun with that," Annabeth walked over to Jonathan and grasped his hand tightly, "Dad is in his office; Gammy wants to meet Jonathan and then it's time dad meets him. Great to see you and we have to catch up later."

"Of course," Christian nodded to Bob, "Let's go then; and it was a pleasure meeting you, Jonathan."

**XXX**

'_She looked like Granny.'_

'**Yeah if Granny was nice and gave out peppermints instead of beatings.'** As Annabeth had predicted, Gammy pinched Jonathan's cheeks; she also fussed over how skinny he was and vowed to fix it. The entire time Annabeth hadn't let go of his hand, perhaps she had developed a very small case of separation anxiety… he would have to go into that farther later.

"Please," Annabeth muttered, talking to her, "please let this go over well. Please don't show him the boyfriend bullets."

'**Boyfriend Bullets?'**

'_I have no idea.'_

Annabeth knock on a large, oak door and waited a few moments, until a "come in" sounded from inside. She smiled at Jonathan and squeezed his hand slightly before walking in, and Jonathan couldn't help but feel an impending sense of doom settle over him as he approached the intimidating dark haired male with sharp green eyes.

"Father," Annabeth thankfully claimed his attention, the mood lightening as Christopher embraced his oldest, "Ah Annie! Merry Christmas, my dear; and who, pray tell, is this?"

"Father this is Jonathan," She said carefully, watching as Jonathan and Christopher shook hands, "Jonathan, this is my father, Christopher DiCario."

"An honor, sir," **'lay it on thick Johnny, this man can kill us in a heartbeat without even blinking an eye'.**

"A pleasure to meet the man who managed to charm my daughter," His grip tightened on Jonathan's hand considerably, and it took all Jonathan had not flinch, "I assume you are the reason she hardly ever comes to visit?"

"Ah," Annabeth leaned forward and took Jonathan's hand away from her father, smiling nervously, "not exactly. Well I just wanted to introduce the two of you, and now that that is over, we should be going-"

"I would like to speak to Jonathan, actually," Annabeth's heart stopped as her father continued, "alone, please."

**XXX**

"You have to understand," Christopher stared at Jonathan, relaxed in his chair, "We families, we must stick together; when we separate, we tend to… have depletion in our numbers. That is why it is imperative for Annabeth to stay close; I don't know what I would do if I lost her, especially after losing her mother…"

"I understand sir," Jonathan nodded, "but I can't really make Annabeth do anything…. Hell, I don't think anyone could make her do anything, she is very stubborn."

"Damn straight she is," he laughed, "gets that from her mother. But, if you insist on dating my daughter, there is something you should see." The older of the two leaned down behind his desk, before pulling out a medium sized, old, wooden box.

"These, are the boyfriend bullets." Upon opening, Jonathan found two rows, six in each, of silver bullets, two of which had something written on them, "That first one was for Ronald Bleist, and the second one, is for you. Now if you do anything to hurt her, physically or mentally, I literally have a bullet with your name on it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir."

"Good; now you and Annie go enjoy the party, and it was great to meet you, Crane."

**XXX**

"Oh god, did he show you the bullets?" Annabeth took in his pale skin, wide eyes, and sweaty hands, "please tell me he didn't."

"He did."

"Jonathan I am so sorry-"she lurched forward and wrapped him in a hug, "oh god, your shaking. Are you okay; do you want to go?"

"We just got here." He answered in a strained voice, "why would we leave?"

"Oh sweetie," she kissed him softly; he pulled back and hesitated a moment before asking, "Peach… would you mind if Scarecrow took over for a bit?"

"He can, you just relax." His eyes darkened just a tad and his body loosened, he wrapped one arm around her and whistled low, "damn peach. Your family has traumatized him and we haven't even had dinner."

"I know," She sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Let's just get back to the party, okay?"

**XXX**

"Johnny!" Scarecrow stiffened when a small child came rushing forward, her bright red curls flying behind her as she jumped in his arms, "I've missed you!"

"Ah," Shit, Scarecrow couldn't remember her name, "I've missed you too, kid."

"Angelica," Annabeth sighed, "Isn't Shelby supposed to be watching you?"

"I slipped away," She smiled proudly at her older sister, and Annabeth gasped, "Angie! You lost your front tooth!"

"What?!" She pressed a hand over her small mouth and turned up to Jonathan, "Is it true?"

"I don't know, let me see." She removed her hand and sure enough, the left front tooth was MIA, "I appears you have."

"But I don't remember losing it!"

"Alright everyone don't move!" A female's voice right next to Jonathan, loud and authoritive forced him to freeze, "We have a missing tooth!" Jonathan turned to find a woman standing next to him, middle aged, with long brown hair and bright brown eyes that settled on Jonathan, "And who are you?"

"Aunt Maddie," Annabeth stepped forward, "this is Jonathan; Jonathan, this is my Aunt Maddie."

"A pleasure," he shifted Angelica's weight to the other foot as he shook her hand.

"Same here. Now, let's find that tooth-"

"I found it!" Annabeth cried from the couch area.

**XXX**

"TIME TO EATH"

"Oh shit-" Annabeth grabbed Jonathan's hand and pulled him against the wall, just in time before a herd of kids went rushing past, trampling all who were not fast enough to move.

"Damn-"

"I know," Annabeth soothed, "Trust me, I know. I hate kids."

**XXX**

"Eat, I promise it isn't poisoned," Annabeth commanded gently, scooping ham and placing some on her plate, "It will break Gammy's heart if you don't."

"Alright," Jonathan was in control again and he placed some ham on his, "are we going to be able to eat all this?"

"No," She chuckled, taking a bite, "that's what left overs are for-"She cut off suddenly and Jonathan followed her line of sight. A man- whom he recognized to be Ronald Bleist- was sitting with a blonde at the other end of the table.

"Annie-"Jonathan began but she cut him off, "Oh that poor girl- she has no idea what she has gotten herself into."

**XXX**

"Overall," Jonathan mused as he slowly undid his tie, "I would have to say that was a terrifying experience."

"I'm sorry," Annabeth had slipped out of her dress- pity, he rather liked her in it- and was now in one of his button up shirts, "Look on the bright side, we won't have another gathering for a while so-"

"What about New Year's?"

"Well there is a huge party," she sat on top of him and slowly ran her fingers through his hair, "But I usually volunteer to watch the little itty bitty children."

"And is that the plan for this year?"

"Yes."

"Ah, excellent."

"Yes, quite excellent."

"…. Let's just go to bed."

"Agreed, oh and Jonathan?"

"Yes, Peach?"

"Merry Christmas Eve."

**XXX**

**Alright guys, merry Christmas Eve! There will be a chapter, most likely small, for tomorrow. Most authors give their readers names, so what should I name you guys? Eh, I'll sleep on it. **

**Anyways. Love you all, and until next time,**

**-Sketch1997**


	20. Christmas

**Johanna Crane (Guest): Aw I am glad you liked the chapter, and I am glad I was able to clarify on the whole Falcone and Maroni thing. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, thank you for your suggestions, but I think my six year old sister Abigail gave me the perfect idea for the name for this stories followers. **

**Guest: I am so happy you like it and I am happy you think I am doing a great job!**

**OH MY GOD GUYS. I JUST REALIZED I NEVER SHOWED THE PART WHERE ANNABETH AND JONATHON DECORATED FOR THE HOLIDAYS. So, the first part of this chapter happens around sometime between chapter 19 and chapter 20. I hope you enjoy. **

**XXX**

"Why?" Jonathan stared at the little outdoor vendor; large and small trees alike rowed up and down the aisles in a semi-neat formation, and the smell of pine were strong.

"Because it is tradition," Annabeth answered nonchalantly, preoccupied with running a hand across the needles of one, "haven't you ever picked out a Christmas tree?"

"No," he mumbled, side stepping a group of kids that ran past, "Granny was never into that sort of thing." She paused and looked back, but her eyes held no sympathy- which was really something he appreciated- "well that is just stupid. C'mon, you can pick the tree this year then."

They wandered up and down row after row- all the damn things looked the same! Bu Annabeth insisted the perfect tree was here somewhere, "We keep looking."

"Can't we just buy a small one from Walmart with the lights already on it or something?"

"No."

**XXX**

"How the hell are we going to get this in your apartment?"

"With Christmas magic," Annabeth grunted, "Now for the love of God will you just push the damn thing?!" Annabeth had her hands wrapped around the top of the tree, pulling it up the stairs while Jonathan had the small trunk at the bottom, pushing up.

"Finally-"he sighed, collapsing on the couch while Annabeth secured it in the corner, "Now can't we take a nap?"

"Nope," she turned around to him, her chest heaving a bit from the cold air, "Now, we go get the decorations!"

Jonathan groaned and laid face down, "Nooooo."

**XXX**

"Can't we just get one type with a bunch of colors?" Jonathan was eyeing the kit that had a bunch of plastic round balls, all an assortment of colors.

"No," she handed him a few glass snowflakes, "Now stop complaining and help me decide: a snowman or a reindeer."

**XXX**

"We have to put them on the tree?"

"Yes Jonathan." She sighed, "Hand me the snowflake please." He did and she first held it up to the right side of the tree, then the left, then the right again; "this has to be perfect."

"I can't tell."

"Okay, there is only one last thing to put on it," she turned smiling and he inwardly gulped, knowing that he was going to have to do something else for this useless and overrated holiday, "and you get to put it on."

"Oh joy," he deadpanned, looking at the silver glittery star that Annabeth handed him, "and I wonder where this goes."

"Will you stop being a killjoy?"

**XXX**

"Hankou," she mumbled. They were lying on the couch; Annabeth was contently nestled into Jonathan's side with her back to the couch, "It means a lot to me that you partook in all this."

"Anything to make you happy." It turns out they had to go back to the store, as Annabeth still had to get lights to decorate the outside, and the inside, and she wanted some mistletoe (But Jonathan happily helped her pin it up, and participated in all the activities that involved the mistletoe).

"No, really," she looked up tiredly, her hair was in a messy bun and her eyes practically closed, but she still wore a soft smile, "I didn't realize you didn't celebrate Christmas when you were younger, and I felt bad because of it. So this year, I want to make sure you have a really good Christmas, because everyone deserves at least one."

"I love you," he whispered gently, kissing her forehead, "now get some sleep."

**XXX**

**M'KAY GUYS NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE ACTUAL CHRISTMAS CHAPTER. LOVE YOU ALL.**

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"Annie?"

There was an unspoken routine between Jonathan and Annabeth:

Jonathan woke up first and Annabeth was always lying in his arms, he would wake her up slowly, cautiously, and while he went to take a shower, Annabeth would make breakfast. They would eat together, and then do whatever it is they had to do that day like if Jonathan had to go to the University or Annabeth had mob related business to attend to.

This is what the morning consisted of, so when Jonathan woke up to an empty bed, he felt slightly concerned, "Annie?" With no reply, Jonathan slowly slid out of bed and checked the bathroom, then the closet, and then slowly made his way to the kitchen, "Annie?"

"Morning," She was at the stove; turning around she held a stack of pancakes, "And Merry Christmas. Let's go to the living room." He followed her and stopped, in the corner under the tree, sat presents; not many, after all it was only the two of them, but he was most certainly not expecting any presents.

"What's wrong?" She set down the plate of pancakes and went to retrieve the coffee, "Johnny?"

"Nothing," he shook his head and stopped her when she passed him, he leaned down and kissed her softly, "I love you. Merry Christmas."

"I made pancakes," she mumbled after standing there for a while, breaking his stare, "and after that you can open your presents."

"Can't I open them now?" he asked, pulling her back to him and letting his head rest on her shoulders, "or better yet, let's just go back to the bedroom and-"

"Pancakes," she deadpanned, unhooking his arms and gently pushing him into the living room, "now."

**XXX**

"Open it-"Annabeth smiled like a child, a thick, medium square package on Jonathan's lap. He looked down at it, "why it is everything you do involves the color blue? Next you're going to get a blue tattoo or dye your hair blue or-"He looked up and saw her happy expression, like she had just had the best idea and he was quick to go, "No."

"But-"

"NO."

"…Fine. Just open your damn present," he smiled at her sullen, puppy like expression before pulling the bow and paper off, he was about to move the lid when suddenly, the box jostled on its own.

It moved-

'**Oh god. Did it just move?"**

'_I believe so. Do you think it is an animal of some sorts?'_

'**I'd rather it be a puppy then a baby.'**

'_What- never mind; I don't want to know.'_

"Well open it." She pestered, making a shooing motion with her hands.

"I think it moved-" he started but stopped when he saw her dead panned expression as she uttered out without a drop of patience, " . ."

He slowly opened the flap and stopped, "Annabeth. What- what the hell- *sigh*, why?"

Inside the box sat a tiny creature: it appeared to have an almost soft scaled skin, with mostly a light black for the main color but had faint gold splotches, and it looked like a lizard to put simply. It made a small growl/squeak sound as one reptile like eye looked up Jonathan, bearing tiny, nulled down teeth.

"It's a lizard."

"What?" She pulled the box away from him and peered in, narrowing her eyes and pressing her lips in a thin line, "It's an alligator. I told them I wanted a snake- I picked out a snake- but they gave me this? Dammit."

"Annabeth?"

"Well I'm sorry Jonathan," she sighed, looking up with misty eyes, "I wanted today to be perfect- but I accidently got you a baby alligator instead of a baby python."

"Why would I- you know what? No, Annie this is perfect- I've uh, always wanted a baby carnivorous creature and he is just…. Great." He tenderly reached down and grabbed the wiggling alligator, "I will name it…. Uh….. Suggestions?"

She stared for a moment before looking him dead in the eye and going, "Percy."

"Percy the Alligator." He announced with feigned enthusiasm, "Now Annie, open yours." He held out a small brow, flat rectangle box, and she gasped, "You got me a present?"

"Of course I did," He sounded offended at the idea of not getting her one, "why wouldn't I?" She slowly opened it and let out a breath of air, inside sat a necklace: a medium length chain with a small silver flat disk, un the middle of the disk sat a small Garnet, and when she flipped it over it simply read in elegant script: "Peach".

She looked up and smiled, "Jonathan-" she leaned forward and kissed him gently, and they may have taken it farther if not for the small squeak that came from in-between them, "Annie, your crushing Percy. What do we feed him anyways?"

**XXX**

"Stop staring at me-"Jonathan commanded, his glare focused on the small alligator in the large fish tank, "I don't like you. In fact, I am going to ignore you until Annabeth gets back from her family's house. You are annoying me- stop staring at me."

Percy made a squeaking noise and Jonathan looked away, "You want to deal with it- Scarecrow?"

'**Let me in control.'**

'_Gladly.'_

Jonathan did his ritual blinking and Scarecrow came out, removing the glasses as he stood and walked over to the tank, "So we have an alligator."

'_Just let me get rid of my headache.'_

"Fine then," he huffed, reaching down and grabbing Percy, "I don't know Percy, your kind of cooler than a python."

**XXX**

"Jonathan! I'm home, and I have Pizza!" She closed the door and took off her coat; turning, she nearly laughed out loud. Jonathan- no it had to be Scarecrow, the glasses were off- in front on the coffee table, he was dangling a string above Percy, who was trying his damnest to grab it. Scarecrow was laughing as he got closer each time, "OH- so close Percy!"

"Enjoying your present," she asked with a small laugh as she walked around the couch and sat down, running a finger over Percy's head to pet him.

"Yeah-"he looked up and smiled at her when he saw her necklace dangling from around her neck, "enjoying yours?"

"M-hm," she hummed gently running her fingers through his hair, "Merry Christmas, Scarecrow."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Peach."

**XXX**

**GUYS! I GOT A NAME FOR YOU ALL! **

***dramatic pause***

**You shall be called- fearlings!**

**Ah I am so happy. Thank you all for the suggestions, they meant a lot. Anyways, Merry Christmas guys! Ah, doesn't feel like Christmas for some reason though- maybe it is because I am getting older or something. **

**Anyways, I love you all, my little fearlings, and enjoy your holidays and festivities- sitting around a tree, opening presents, drinking egg nog… I've never had egg nog, but I want to try some. BUCKET LIST!**

**-Sketch1997**


	21. Homemade Pizzas

**Special thanks to Ever Autumn13 and .5 for following Beautiful Lie,**

**As well as a special thanks to hrodenhaver and Hikiro Hikaru for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**XXX**

_**FEARLINGS. THIS CHAPTER IS EARLY. WE GOT STUFF TO DISCUSS, SO PLEASE, READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM. **_

_**VERY IMPORTANT.**_

**XXX**

Annabeth stared at the papers from her families doctor- she hadn't been feeling well; so naturally, she went to Dr. Briars, her families most trusted doctor. After a few tests, Annabeth had left, asking the doctor just to mail her results.

She felt her heart stop as she read them, a nasty feeling overtaking her as a lump formed in her chest, no- this couldn't be.

Oh god, no; Briars was right- Annabeth was very, very sick; and the only thing that worried her was, how would she tell Jonathan?

**XXX**

"So," Carmine sat at the end of the table, looking at the other families, "are we in agreement of this year's territories?"

A general murmur of complies were sounded around the table and he smiled, "Good, that is good. Now on to other matters, has any one had any more trouble with that drug "Toxin"?

Another general murmur and Carmine's smile grew bigger "That is great. So, I shall see you all tonight at the New Year's Party?"

"All except Annie," Chris mumbled under his breath as everyone was replying, "she gets to play house-" he was cut off when a heel slammed on his foot, causing him to stifle a gasp and look over to Annabeth incredulously, "what the-"

"You make one more remark," she threatened lowly, not taking her eyes from the front of the table, "and I will do more than just step on your foot."

"Geez it is just a joke." He grumbled, looking away, "liven up a bit."

"Callan is looking at you again," she changed the subject, her eyes now focusing on the Canadian who was entirely focused on Chris, "how are you two going?"

"Annie be quiet someone could-"

"Oh relax, they are all too busy anyways," she shushed, "You know if you two ever want to be happy you will have to tell people."

"The families are very old fashioned and the thought of two men-"

"I know, it would be scandalous," she clarified, "but the only other options are either run away and get hitched in Vegas or stay in the closet. Really Chris, you annoy the hell out of me and there are times when I want to kill you but I want you to be happy; and I honestly think you two could be happy together."

"Can we just talk about this later?"

"I suppose so."

**XXX**

"Can't we just order Pizza?" Jonathan groaned, pushing the shopping cart with a bored expression as Annabeth scanned the frozen pizzas.

"One of the rules for watching the kiddies is that we have to make everything ourselves." Annabeth replied absentmindedly as she picked up a cheese, "was it Angelica who liked cheese or was it Evelyn- or maybe it was Arthur- fuck it, I'll just call Gammy."

Jonathan watched as she pulled out her phone and walked away to the other end of the aisle, still scanning the pizza's with a frustrated look. He smiled and shook his head, _'I am never, ever having kids.'_

'**That, is something we can agree on.'**

'_They are loud.'_

'**Messy.'**

'_Way to needy.'_

"Jon?" Jonathan froze and turned, finding the last person on this goddamn earth he ever wanted to see again, "Sherylynn."

Sherry frowned slightly and looked past Jonathan, to Annabeth who was still on the phone, "Oh, your with _her_."

"Yes, I am with my girlfriend," Jonathan stated slowly, bluntly as if talking to a child; a look of pain and jealousy flickered across her face before her eyes snapped back to his, "So Jon, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"As a matter of a fact," He leaned away from her, not liking the sickly sweet attitude she took on, "I do."

"Oh? And what exactly is it you're doing?"

"He will be spending the night with _me_." A new voice stated, devoid of any emotion; Jonathan turned to find Annabeth beside him, sizing Sherry up.

'**Oh this is going to be **_**good**_**.'**

**XXX**

"Thanks Gammy," Annabeth turned, frowning. Jonathan stood by the cart, where she left him, but he now had a disgusted look on his face as he stared at a blonde woman next to him.

A pang of jealousy went through Annabeth and she walked forward, catching the tail end of their conversation.

"-any plans for tonight?" Sherry asked, smiling in a flirty manner as she shifted her weight to her other foot.

"As a matter of a fact; I do," Jonathan leaned away from her, backing up as he eyed her cautiously.

"Oh? And what exactly is it you're doing?" Sherry purred.

"He will be spending the night with _me_." Annabeth supplied, shifting to stand close to Jonathan. She sized the woman up completely, not really impressed, "and you are?"

"Sherry," the other woman replied, taking in Annabeth in completely up close, "you must be Annabeth, Jonathan has told me so much about you."

"Ah," Annabeth hummed, lacing her fingers with Jonathan as she used an innocent expression on her face, "I'm sure he has. Funny, though, he hasn't talked that much about you."

A tense silence enveloped the area and Jonathan stopped breathing; it was like watching a car crash in slow motion, and all he could do was observe with a horrific fascination.

"Funny," Sherry agreed, her lip twitching, "I assume what he has told you were only good things."

"Well, you do assume," Annabeth allowed, "anyways. It was nice meeting you, but Jonathan and I must be going; we have a busy night."

"What are you two doing with your New Years?" Sherry was stalling; although Annabeth had no idea why.

"We are going to a party that my family is hosting," it was technically true- they had to pick up the kids.

"A party, well that sounds fun-"

"Sherry!" Sherry smile widened like a predators as she turned to the new arrival, "oh Bo! Why don't you come meet Jonathan, and his new girlfriend."

What is with this woman; did she honestly stall just so she could show off her boyfriend? Really?

"Hello," Bo was obviously the whole 'college football quarter backer' type; large muscles, blonde hair, tan skin, "My name is Bo Griggs."

"Ah," Jonathan shook his hand, "Jonathan Crane."

"Hello," Annabeth smiled as he turned to her, shaking his hand she stated, "It's a pleasure to meet you Bo, my name is Annabeth DiCario." Bo froze and went pale, his hand shaking as he pulled back from Annabeth, "oh… you're a part of the DiCario family?"

"Actually," she smiled, "I am. Anyways, as I was telling Sherry, Jonathan and I must be going. Goodbye."

Bo nodded and Annabeth smiled, grabbing Jonathan's arm and dragging him down the aisle. They didn't speak until Annabeth was sitting in his car; Jonathan sat in the driver's side and they sat there for a few minutes.

Jonathan looked up and met Annabeth's eyes, and then she absolutely lost it; she laughed, pressing her head to the dash board and ignoring Jonathan's own laughter as she tried to get it under control to breath.

"Oh my god," she gasped after a few minutes, "did you see the look on his face? I don't think she even knows who the DiCarios are!"

"Probably not-" Jonathan smiled at her as he started the car, "but that really doesn't matter. Okay- we got zero groceries; why is that?"

"Homemade pizzas," Annabeth sighed, "take us to the farmer's market."

**XXX**

"Okay," Annabeth placed the dough in the fridge, "the crust will be ready to bake in about forty minutes, and that is plenty of time to clean up-" She stopped when she entered the living room; everything was in order, everything was spotless, and it was perfect.

"I thought you could use some help," Jonathan explained, sitting on the couch with a book on his lap.

"You, are incredible." Annabeth stated plainly as she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"This apartment is a descent size," Jonathan commented idly, flipping a page in his book, "but how big will it be with screaming children running around?"

"They are well behaved," Annabeth soothed; she paused slightly and looked up to him, "Jonathan- you don't like kids, do you?"

"What gave you that idea," he hummed, setting his book down and wrapping his arms around her, "I adore the little beasts."

"No you don't."

"Your right," he caved, "I can't stand children. Neither can Scarecrow. I will admit I have taken a liking to your siblings, but any other children…"

"You're adorable," she smiled, getting up, "but I must disagree. I think children can be acceptable if well behaved, and in the far, far future; hell I may even want one or two of my own." She kissed his forehead and walked into the bedroom, leaving him on the couch baffled.

'**What?'**

'_She wants kids.'_

'**NOW?'**

'_No, but she did say eventually- Scarecrow, I can't be a father. I can't be anything to anyone of importance like that; I don't deal with children-'_

'**Johnny, whoa, slow down kid. First of all, Annabeth said children eventually, which means like ten years at least. Second of all, that is ten years; what if something happens to either of you, to where you are not together? You really don't need to worry- but really, do you want to spend the rest of your life with Peach?'**

Jonathan stopped pacing; did he? God, they hadn't been together for that long, and he was taking a harmless statement as her eventually wanting children and applying himself to it. Would he spend forever with her though? He looked to the bedroom; it was way too soon to be thinking of things like this.

**XXX**

Annabeth was lying on her stomach, tracing patterns into her bed as her mind drifted; Jonathan looked panicked when she said she wanted kids. What- did he think she wanted kids with him; well wait, did she?

No, god what had she done? He was supposed to be a tool; a rebellious escape from her worries of the mob, but damn she was in this way to deep.

How could she be so stupid?!

And now with her test results from Dr. Briars, she was simply at a loss on what to do.

This wasn't a little crush; she was supposed to use him- but why had it felt like he used her? She covered his trail with the toxin, she had watched his back- had he used her?

"Annabeth-" she looked up at the sound of her name; Jonathan walked into the bedroom, crawling over the bed to where he lay on top of her, "Annie."

"Johnny," she greeted, not rolling around but instead opting to stay on her stomach, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," no, there was something wrong, but of course she had no idea what it was, "just wanted to lay down for a bit."

"Uh-Hu," now Annabeth rolled over, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and letting her fingers lace in his hair, "nothing?"

"Not a single thing," he kissed her gently, and she gladly kissed back until suddenly stopping and leaning away. She frowned as a look of confusion crossed her face before suddenly shoving him off and booking it to the bathroom.

"Annie?" Jonathan got up, but froze when he heard the sound of retching; suddenly he surged forward, walking into the bathroom to find Annabeth kneeling in front of the toilet as if it were an altar of worship, "Annabeth…"

He leaned down and pulled back her hair carefully, rubbing her back he mumbled once she was done, "are you okay?"

"Nghhhh-" she groaned, slowly flushing it and trying to rise to the sink, "let me brush my teeth please-"

"Okay," he soothed, helping her up and keeping a slight distance, "just- I'll be in the bedroom."

**XXX**

"Are you okay?" he asked, staring at her pale form as she walked over to the bed, "I mean if you're sick you can just relax and I will grab some tea-"

"No-" she smiled, but the smile was tightlipped, "I'm okay. Just, it was probably some bad Chinese or I heard there is like, a twenty-four hour bug going around. I'll be right as rain in a few hours."

"You're lying," he stated plainly, looking at her in a new light; she really looked bad, how hadn't he noticed? She looked to have maybe lost a pound or two, her eyes showed sleepless nights, and she practically looked dead.

"Jonathan," she sighed, easing unto the bed and closing her eyes, "I'll be okay, I just need a couple hours of sleep; wake me at five, please?"

**XXX**

"LET IT GO!" Evelyn screeched; she sat on the back of the couch, her arms thrown out wide, "LET IT GO- CAN'T HOLD IT BACK ANYMORE! LET IT GO- LET IT GO- TURN AWAY AND SLAM THE DOOR!"

"Evie please keep it down a bit," Annabeth requested, patting the girls back as she passed her, "but your singing is wonderful princess."

"Can we watch Sleeping Beauty next?" Angie asked from her spot in front of the coffee table, "please?"

"We most certainly can," Annabeth smiled, "just let Evie finish watching Frozen, kay?"

"WOAH!" Annabeth turned to find Arthur and Aiden looking wide eyed at Jonathan, who was showing them Percy; Aiden continued, "aw man! You got a baby alligator- that is so COOL!"

"What's his name?" Arthur asked, testily reaching one finger forward to pet him.

"Percy," Jonathan answered, "don't worry- he doesn't bite."

"Man that is awesome," Aiden mumbled, staring at it, "I want one."

**XXX**

"Bed time," Annabeth cooed, draping a blanket over Evelyn, "come now little ones, time to sleep."

"Lullaby," Angelica requested softly, hugging her teddy closer.

"Okay," Annabeth hummed. Angelica took one end of the long couch, while Evelyn took the over end; the boys were camped on the floor, an array of toy soldiers and hot wheels scattered around them as they started to dose off.

"Over in Killarney, many years ago," Annabeth began, singing with the same bitter sweet happiness her mother sang to her with, "Me mother sang a song to me, in tones so sweet and low.

"Just a simple little ditty,

"In her good old Irish way;

"And l'd give the world if she could sing

"That song to me this day.

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby…"

**XXX**

"They asleep?" Jonathan asked, taking Annabeth in his arms as she crawled into bed, "yeah." He noticed her eyes were a little red, as if she were crying, but he decided to ignore it with an equally important conversation, "so about earlier…"

"What about earlier?" she played dumb.

"You were sick; and I know it isn't just a passing bug- so c'mon Annabeth, what is wrong?"

"Can we talk about this tomorrow, after we drop the kids back off?" She pleaded, looking up at him with pleading eyes, "please?"

"Fine, but I am not dropping it."

**XXX**

**FEARLINGS. **

**I GOT SOME BAD NEWS.**

**LIKE REALLY BAD NEWS.**

**I will not be posting again, after New Year's chapter, until January 13****th**** or 20****th****. I am sorry, but I have credits I need to make up in high school, and I need to focus on my classes. This story will have to be on hold until one of those two dates; but I swear on my love for fanfiction that I will not abandon this story. **

**I just have a bunch going on; and this story, is coming to a major crossing point. Which brings us to our next order of business:**

**You must choose either option A, or option B. I will only tell you this:**

_**Option A:**_** will have a slightly happier ending, but a major cliff hangers- and I will not be able to post the sequel to it until a couple months after that story ends.**

_**Option B:**_** will have a slightly sadder ending, but no major cliff hangers. The sequel I will be able to have out much quicker, no later than two weeks after this story ends. BUT, option B will not include the pro log, if option B is chosen, then the prolog I will delete and it will no longer pertain to this story.**

**Personally, I am good with either of them, but we must choose one! SO, leave a review, private message me, just tell me what you guys want!**

**Well, I will have a New Year's chapter out, and you guys will see what Annabeth has concerning Illness wise- so until next time,**

**-Sketch1997**


	22. Being Drugged Outside a Clinic

**Special Thanks to MusicOfMyMind and IceknowsInsanity for following Beautiful Lie;**

**As well as to once again to MusicOfMyMind and IceknowsInsanity favoring Beautiful Lie!**

**Reviews**

** .5: I am going to be using a bit of both, actually!**

**Johanna Crane: I'm glad you chose option B. And I am going to tell you guys; it is posted at the end of this chapter. The main details of the option will be hidden, but know that the pro log is now void and has nothing to do with the story. In fact I am going to try to take it out. Anyways, I'll see you in a couple weeks!**

**EisForElephant: oh my gosh I hate sad endings to. I recently read the end of a Loki/OC story and the ending was so sad I swear to god I cried for like fifteen minutes nonstop. But because the sequel will come soon after this story eventually ends, you don't have to worry about the ending that much! Please don't worry!**

**Ladymoonscar: hah. You got it; actually you are the only one to point that out! And damn straight that is the most concerning of all illnesses; I mean seriously, you have a tiny person growing inside of you!**

**XXX**

Annabeth flipped a perfect pancake onto Evie's plate, smiling as her sister automatically dowsed it with syrup and whip crème, "Okay; Arthur has vanilla and cinnamon pancakes, while Aiden has banana nut, Evie you have blueberry, and Angie here is your strawberry."

"Now you guys have to hurry up and eat then get dressed; I'm supposed to have you guys back by noon so we only have an hour to get it all ready. I'll pack your bags, just enjoy breakfast." Annabeth finished, walking passed Jonathan and into the living room.

**XXX**

Jonathan hurried around the apartment, straightening books, sweeping the floor, wiping off the counter; basically anything to keep his mind off of Annabeth. She had puked imediatly after waking up- in fact, he was pretty sure it was her sudden sickness that woke her up.

What was wrong with her?

It could be a flu bug- or if he was going with the ironic overly used signs- pregnancy.

Jonathan stopped; no, she couldn't be. He rushed to the bedroom and started to fold clothes, going over old nursery rhymes in his head, trying to distract himself.

'**But what if she is pregnant?'**

'_One bright day in the middle of the night…'_

'**Jonathan. Don't try to ignore me-'**

'_Two dead boys got up to fight-'_

'**Jonathan-'**

'_Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other.'_

'**Now listen here-'**

'_A deaf police man heard the noise; and ran to save the two dead boys.'_

'**Jonathan Crane-'**

'_And if you don't believe it's true, go ask the blind man because he-'_

'**STOP NOW.'**

'…_.saw it too.'_

'**Dammit Jonathan.'**

'_There is nothing to discuss, Scarecrow.'_

'**Annabeth might be pregnant and you are folding clothes while singing nursery rhymes. Now, what if she is pregnant?'**

'_Well she will get rid of it, of course.'_

He noticed Scarecrow had fallen silent but opted to ignore it; instead he walked over to the dresser and pulled out the top drawer. He was placing the sock into it when he heard a faint crinkling, as if someone had moved paper.

With great caution he moved the clothes around, until he came across a hand addressed envelope to Annabeth from a Doctor Briars.

**XXX**

"Jonathan?" Annabeth walked into the barely lit apartment, looking for her boyfriend.

"Annabeth." Ah, there he was. He sat in one of the chairs, one hand held a glass of what she believed to be alcohol, while the other hand held a vaguely familiar paper.

"So, just for curiosities sake, when were you going to tell me?" He asked, his voice tight and terrifying.

"Tell you what?"

"That you were pregnant-" he stood and swayed slightly, confirming Annabeth's suspicions that he had a few glasses.

"Today." She answered, her throat closing up slightly as she stared at his furious blue eyes, "where is Scarecrow?"

"Oh I took the pills- he wouldn't just shut up for a minute." He laughed; oh god, he really was mad if he had gotten rid of Scarecrow- even if it was momentarily.

"Well that wasn't very nice," Annabeth commented softly, crossing her arms; he looked up and glared at her, "so when is the appointment?"

"Appointment?"

"For the abortion, of course." He shrugged as if it was non chalet, and looking back on it, which is what sent Annabeth into fury.

"Abortion?!" she snarled, he arms dropping, "Now why the hell would I get an abortion-"

"YOU KNOW WHY!" He took a few steps forward and shouted, "THINK about it Annabeth! Where in all of this would a child fit in! I am a well-respected Psychology Professor; you the daughter of one of the biggest mobs in Gotham! Annabeth a child between us is absolutely ludicrous!"

"And why is it so hard to believe!" she disagreed, "Dammit Jonathan if you don't want a child- if you are too scared to be a father- then leave! But I won't have you tell me to get rid of it!"

"ME? SCARED?" He laughed, "Maybe you are as crazy as everyone says! I am not scared of anything! If anything it is you who should be scared!"

"Excuse me? And what exactly am I scared of?"

"Atychiphobia," he stated, "the fear of failing. It must put a lot of pressure on your shoulders, knowing one day you will be in charge of running an entire empire. You Annabeth- I know you, and I know that you hate losing. But failing at what you have literally been prepared for your entire life; oh we both know that would destroy you. And I know you have had to have thought about this whole child thing; and I know you have thought of failing to be the perfect mother.

"Asthenophobia- it is the fear of weakness. For you, who has had to be strong and had to gain strength, well I think that fear is self-explanatory, don't you?

"Annabeth you are a fearful being- don't try to lie to me- I have seen your greatest fears. You are nowhere near ready to be a mother- and a child would be your greatest mistake yet. You are an idiot-"

She cut him off with a slap; his head didn't move, but a few strands of hair fell from their perfect alignment. He was breathing heavy, and his eyes were dark with anger; but Annabeth's fury could match his own, "get out. Don't you ever come around me again, Jonathan Crane, until you have thought about what you said today."

He didn't say a word, only moved over to the door silently, but as he was about to walk out he turned, "If you don't get rid of that thing growing inside of you, then don't call me."

**XXX**

For an hour, Annabeth sat on the couch simply crying; for an hour, she had been alone. She sobbed into the pillow, cursing Jonathan and their stupidity for her getting pregnant and this whole ridiculous mess. Oh god what was she thinking; Jonathan was right, she couldn't be a mom! For the love of Christ, she could barely keep a gold fish alive!

Oh god- her father, her entire family would be ashamed. The other families would mock her and she would bring shame on her household and she could lose everything for- for something that doesn't even exist yet!

Was this child worth it? No- no it wasn't.

Annabeth slowly turned and looked at the phone book on the kitchen counter, frowning as she stood and slowly walked over to it, "Oh god please forgive me."

**XXX A FEW DAYS LATER XXX**

'**CALL HER.'**

'_The king and his men, stole the queen from her bed-'_

'**DAMMIT JONATHAN TALK TO ME!'**

'_And bound her in her bones. The seas be ours and by the beggars-'_

'**JONATHAN CRANE-'**

'_Where we will, we'll roam.'_

'**ENOUGH'** Scarecrow put everything he had into pushing Jonathan out, reaching forward in the end and trying to take control.

'_SCARECROW' _

Scarecrow groaned and stood, Jonathan beating furiously in the back of his mind, "Now, Jonathan, listen here."

'_SCARECROW YOU SON OF A-'_

"Now don't you dare give me that!" Scarecrow sat down and rubbed his hands against the chair arms, "Just listen! Now for as long as I can remember, I have been there for you; I sat in the back of your mind- even when you ignored me. Claimed I was just a phase. And since the beginning, I have only tried to make you stronger, punish those who tried to hurt you, and I have done exactly that. Running away from Annabeth, it isn't making you stronger.

"Yes, she is pregnant; but you need to realize that even though it was an accident, it is an accident you both made together. Now leaving her with all of the mess isn't going to do anything to benefit you- but if you step in and claim responsibility…

"Well you are not going to be young forever. But if you had a legacy, you would have someone to deliver fear to these weak fools long after you can't. And what better person then Annabeth to give you that legacy? She is perfectly healthy, and despite what you believe and what you made her believe, she would make an excellent mother. I know your subconscious, Jonathan, and I know you have fancied the idea of Annabeth making the loving housewife.

"Just call her, for the love of God, and talk to her. Remember, if you burn bridges before they are built, your nothing but a fool; but if you use the bridge fully, then burn it before anyone else can cross it, then you are a god."

And with that, Scarecrow relinquished control to a deep in thought Jonathan, sinking back to the parts that were dark and allowing him to process what he said. Finally he sighed and brought out the phone, hitting Annabeth's number he leant back and waited.

**XXX**

Annabeth slid on her coat, pulling her hair out of the edges and looked once in the mirror. She applied no makeup, but was dressed in all black save her blue jacket; and it was appropriate, seeing as how she was about to-

Her thoughts were cut off by the shrill ring of her cell phone.

"Hello?" she sighed, not bothering to check the caller i.d. and instead opting to be surprised.

"Annabeth."

"…Jonathan."

"Listen, can we meet up somewhere and talk about all of this?" he asked, and Annabeth laughed without humor, "well normally I would say sure, but I am sort of on my way to get rid of all this."

"What?" She heard him get up and him start to walk, she bit the inside of her cheek, "Well, I thought about what you said and I have decided that I am not capable. If I was to bring a child in this world it would never be safe- not with another family or my own- so I have decided to go ahead and get rid of it."

"NO."

"Pardon?"

"Where are you?" he asked and she heard a door close; his thudding footsteps led her to believe he was possibly going down stairs, and she suspected him to be leaving his apartment.

"Don't bother," she hurried out of her own and started walking down the street, "I just left my apartment. You are wasting your time, Jonathan."

"Annabeth-" she hung up and hurried along, it was just her luck there was a clinic for this sort of thing about five minutes from her house.

She stood outside the clinic and stared at the door for a few minutes, trying to gather the courage to walk in. Why was Jonathan so suddenly desperate to talk about this; what changed his mind? Most likely Scarecrow- she never pegged him as a family type- so he probably saw something to gain from all this.

She shook her head, no, it was too late-

A sudden quick and crushing force slammed into her, long and strong arms latched around her as her attacker panted into her shoulder. She flinched and was about to knee him until she saw who it was- Jonathan.

"What the hell?" she spat, struggling to get away, "get off me!"

"No-" he gasped out, holding her tighter, "Because you- you are just going to- gah, give me a second please." He lowered his head again and tried to get his breathing under control as Annabeth was struck with a sudden realization, "Wait did you- did you run here? How did you even know this was the clinic I was going through?"

"I- I saw you from the end of the street-" he straightened but did let go, "I saw your car so I knew you would have to be walking to one close and I remember seeing this one so I cut through some alleys and jumped over a few fences to get here."

"…Let go of me."

"No- you are just going to go inside that clinic if I do."

"Damn right I am now let go-" she never got the chance to finish as a sudden prick in her neck caused her to gasp, looking down she saw Jonathan retract a needle and look at her with an apologetic expression, "I was making one while still on the phone with you- purely Scarecrow's idea. It is only enough to knock you out for a bit, and it is nowhere near enough to hurt the baby."

**XXX**

Annabeth woke groggy and misplaced- her mind a complete blank as to what had happened last. Of course, when she saw Jonathan sitting at the edge of the bed with a guilt expression, it all came back to her.

"Why? Why now do you want to talk about this?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Can I not want to be a father?" he asked gently, he crawled over the bed to lay next to her, wrapping his arms around her to pull her close, "I want a child, Annabeth. I want to raise my own child, to look at something and know it turned out good. I want it to look like you, because you are so beautiful, I want it to have your beauty and my intelligence. I want a child so bad, and I didn't even realize it until now; how bad, I want a family."

"Jonathan-" she mumbled, "Let's say I believe you. When my father found out my brother Christian got his girlfriend pregnant, he insisted they marry. I am not ready to be married, or to be a mom. Can't you see that?"

"You don't have to marry me-" he whispered, "I will wait forever, but Annabeth I won't let you kill this child. I understand you are afraid, but so am I; we can do this, I won't leave you, okay?"

"…Okay." She looked up and smiled at him, a stray tear falling, "Jonathan, we're having a baby."

**XXX**

**OKAY MY FEALINGS. THAT IS ALL. FOR NOW.**

**I am so sorry about the break. But I have to get this shit done for school so I can focus on this entire wonderful story. UH I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS.**

**Thank you all for reviewing; and believe it or not I got a lot of Private messages too- which I so wasn't expecting. **

**People wanted more details on the options. But you guys have to wait, I do want you all to be surprised!**

**The winner is….. OPTION B!**

**Now I know some of you wanted option A because you didn't want it to be a sad ending, but! Have no fear! Because actually Option A, now that I look back at it, might be sadder than option B.**

**Anyways, I love you all, and I will see you all in a couple weeks!**

**-Sketch1997**


	23. What a Family

**A special thanks to Blahurface, britt-britt12, and Lokisarmyforever for following Beautiful Lie.**

**Reviews:**

**Johanna Crane: hey yeah, I decided to just throw in a quick chapter so you guys wouldn't be left hanging for a while.**

**Starswim: Oh my god, you reviewed my story. I am absolutely in love with your stories Love is Merely Madness and Madness is like Gravity; the way you have written Crane is simply incredible. I am so happy that you are enjoying my story, and I hope I don't disappoint!**

**XXX**

It was quiet, and cold, and everyone was asleep. It was also three in the morning. Annabeth and Jonathan lay in the bed, their backs against one another as they dreamed peacefully. Suddenly, Annabeth twitched slightly in her sleep before groaning and waking up.

"I'm Hungry." Annabeth stated, rolling over and shaking Jonathan's shoulder, "Jonathan? I'm hungry."

"Ngh-" he opened one eye and groaned out, "Sorry, but we are asleep right now."

"But I want Chinese."

"Well then go order Chinese," he groaned, rolling back over.

"But I don't want to get out of bed-" she whimpered, sliding close to him and wrapping her arms around his torso, "Please get me food…"

"Annabeth-"

"Jonathan."

"Okay! Fine- I'm up!" He growled, stumbling out of bed and towards the kitchen, "you want Chinese or Pizza?"

"Pizza sounds good."

"Okay-" he sighed and went to order her food.

**XXX**

"Jonathan." He groaned and rubbed his eyes, "Jonathan sweetie-"

"Are you hungry again?" He mumbled with his face in the pillow. He heard a sigh and then his blankets were ripped off, inviting the cold to take hold.

Annabeth stood above him, firmly dressed in a brown turtle neck, black pants, and she had her coat hanging over her arm, "Up yet?"

"What?" He moaned, leaning back and staring at her, "where are you going?"

"To see my father." She replied stiffly, her lips pressed in a thin line, "he called me, and he wants me home in thirty minutes."

"Does he know-"

"I am not sure."

"Do you want me to come-"

"No-" her eyes were wide and she leaned down, "just don't worry about it- probably something Chris has done stupidly." She kissed his forehead, "How about tonight, when I get home, we watch a few horror movies and eat some left over pizza? I will be no later than six."

**XXX**

"Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us our daily bread and forgive us of those who trespass against us, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen." Annabeth recited the Lord's Prayer under her breath over and over again as she slowly walked to her father's study.

She wasn't religious, not most of the time at least. Personally Annabeth believed she was somewhere on the fence of Christianity; not believing but still believing- and while she didn't break out into Psalm's every time she was faced with dire situations, she still found herself repeating the Lord's Prayer at times.

She stopped at the door and took a slow, deep breath before knocking.

**XXX**

"It is unholy!" Christopher shouter- but not at Annabeth. She was currently sitting in one of the chairs, staring at the ground as her Chris fought with their father, "IT GOES AGAINST OUR RELIGION CHRIS."

"Oh for the love of-" Chris stood and glared at his father, "Don't even try to bring religion or morals into this! For Christ's sake- we kill people for a living without blinking an eye- but when I decide that I want to be in a relationship with another man-"

"May I just say, Father," Annabeth injected, standing herself and placing a restraining arm on Chris, "I think you may be over reacting a tad bit- I mean, there is no real reason Chris and Callan not to be together. There is no real damage; and Chris does have a point when he says that we aren't that high up on the moral scale-"

"That isn't the point Annabeth-" Christopher sighed, sinking back into the chair, "What's becoming of this family? I had to force one son to marry the girl he got pregnant, one son is apparently a homosexual, I have suspicions Shelby is sneaking out at night, and don't get me started on the little ones! Annabeth is the only one here that isn't actually doing anything wrong-"

"Ah yeah Dad about that-" Annabeth wrung her hands together and averted her eyes to the book case, "You might want to hold that last thought…"

"What?"

"Why?" Chris leant over a bit, "What have **you **done wrong?"

"Well-" Annabeth looked up to her father's piercing gaze, "It really isn't a big deal- so don't freak out- but- and you are going to laugh when I tell you-"

"ANNABETH."

"I'm pregnant." Dead silence in the room; you could hear a pin drop. Chris was slowly breaking out into a large grin, "really? No joke-"

"No I am about a month and a half along now," Annabeth interrupted, a cold feeling spreading in her chest as she waited for her father's reaction, "and that is roughly. Doctor Briars couldn't give me a sure answer when I last talked to her."

"You're pregnant," a soft whisper came from behind the desk and both brother and sister turned to see their father with his face in his hands, "My oldest daughter- my successor to my empire- is pregnant."

"Dad-"

"No." he stood and Annabeth stopped breathing, his eyes were tired; but that isn't what shocked her. What shocked her, and terrified her, was the small gleam she couldn't distinguish in the back of his eye, "I'm going to be a grandfather. Again."

"Yes…" she was confused- was he happy or- "but I talked it over with Jonathan, and I don't want to marry him quite yet. Maybe I could wait until after I have the baby- or a little bit beyond that…"

**XXX**

Chris slowly closed the door to his father's study; Annabeth turned to face him in the hallway and it was dead quite. They stared for a moment before heading down the hallway together- all the way to the other side of the house – and then busted out laughing.

"Oh my god Annie-" Chris wheezed, "I thought for sure he was going to lose it when you refused to marry your boyfriend-"

"Me too-" she leaned against the wall and slumped down, "I thought the reason he called me here was to yell at me for being pregnant! Not about you- did you really kiss Callan at midnight on New Year's?"

"Yeah," he smiled almost wistfully, "everyone was getting caught in the moment and me and you were talking about it earlier that day- I just couldn't ignore the way he was looking at me-"

"Okay come on just relax and breath I get it!" She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Just be happy you are alive after that- I mean I knew he was going to react badly but he just seemed over the top then."

"Yeah," he let his frown drop slightly, "are you… ya know… pregnant?"

"…Yeah," she looked away, "Guess I am not really the favorite kid anymore, huh?"

"Oh please Annabeth," he scoffed, "you know you are still the favorite. Remember when Christian told dad he got Hannah pregnant? His reaction shocked me more than anything; he nearly killed Christian- he barely reacted to you!"

"I know…" she mumbled, looking back to the direction of her father's study, "Something isn't right. And honestly I am terrified."

"Let him cool off- and in the meantime, you might want to run while you still can before Gammy finds out."

**XXX**

"You're alive-" Jonathan sighed in relief, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead, "I was worried about you-"

"Oh relax," she laughed softly, playing with his tie, "did you get dinner?"

"It should be here any minute-"

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

"Ah yes there is the food."

**XXX**

"Do I look fat to you?" Annabeth asked, staring in the mirror that hung in her closet, "I mean, I feel fat."

"Annabeth aren't you only like a month and a half along?"

"Your point?"

"Well you may feel… larger, because you have been eating a bit more then you normally would…." Jonathan trailed off when he caught the expression on her face, his blood going cold and he pressed his lips together, "what I meant to say was, that you look beautiful and I would love nothing more than you to come over here so we could go to bed-"

"Oh just hush," she grumbled, climbing in bed and flipping off the lamp, "your rambling."

"And you're beautiful," he answered back immediately, causing her to pause and laugh softly, "no I mean it, you are the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on. Scouts honor."

**XXX**

**MY BEAUTIFUL FEARLINGS- I HAVE RETURNED.**

**I'm sorry about the wait; school is a serious hell. But now we should get back on schedule; assuming all my credits go through for the rest of the semester. I'm sorry this week's is a little shorter than normal, but I have to do a project for History and it is nearly midnight.**

**So I know this is a slow chapter; but I needed a filler just to get you guys something. I will see you next week hopefully, but if not, then the week after that.**

**Anyways, until next time,**

**-Sketch1997**


	24. Valentine's Day

Annabeth hummed softly to herself at she slowly ran her hands through Jonathan's hair. He had a lazy smile on his face as his arms tightened around her waist while nuzzling his face into her collar bone, "Don't stop."

"I don't plan to," she answered softly, staring at the ceiling. She continued to hum the tune Jonathan didn't really care to know as they lay there for a while longer. They had been dating a while now, six months according to Annabeth's calculations; and she had been so happy.

She was happy now, with her arms wrapped around him and the sounds of Gotham's more mute days outside; her life was going good. It had been decided her and Jonathan would remain in Gotham, just until they felt staying would be a problem; just when it became unsafe for them and the baby.

The baby.

Annabeth didn't know how she felt; on one hand she was overly excited, she was going to be a mom and Jonathan stayed right here with her, but on the other hand she was terrified, not knowing for sure what future she would be able to provide for the child inside of her, even with Jonathan's help.

"Stop thinking," Jonathan demanded softly; Annabeth realized while in her thoughts she had stopped stroking his head, "You are worrying for no reason, Annabeth. Everything will be okay; we have the appointment in a few weeks to find out what the child is."

"Oh, yeah," she looked to his blue eyes and smiled, "are you excited?"

"Scarecrow is, he hasn't shut up about it." Jonathan answered dryly, sitting up and leaning back, " he wants a boy."

"So do I," Annabeth laughed; she stopped when she noticed Jonathan's pouty expression, "what? You wanted a girl?"

"Yes," he murmured in a dejected state, "why don't you want a girl? A girl would most certainly be easier than a boy."

"No, a girl would be much harder; boys are easy."

"I disagree with your logic."

"Well that is simply too bad isn't it?"

**XXX**

"What if it is a girl?" Jonathan hummed, playing with Annabeth's hair while they watched the old sappy movie on the television, "What happens when we get proof you are wrong?"

"I am not wrong," she mumbled, watching the faint lights above Gotham, "But let's not focus on that right now; Jonathan, happy Valentine's day."

"Happy Valentine's day, Peach," he whispered; they laid there for a few minutes befor Jonathan became aware Annabeth fell asleep, "I love you."

'**She's asleep…'**

'_No shit.'_ Jonathan muttered as he pushed the bangs from her face, _'I think I would know if she was asleep, Scarecrow.'_

'**No need to be so bitchy about it.'** Scarecrow muttered, nesting in the back of Jonathan's mind as they stared at the sleeping face of Annabeth, **'She really does look peaceful.'**

'_Not stressed….'_ Jonathan agreed.

'…**. Do you think we made the right decision? By staying?'**

Did they? Jonathan wasn't a man to run away from responsibilities, in fact he was the kind to face them head on. The way he was raised, albeit in a crude fashion by his wonderfully insane Granny, was that he needed to take care of business and not slack.

So why should he run from this? If he would put up with being locked in a shed filled with crows for seventeen years with a crazy woman singing children's rhymes outside it, then he would gladly take having Annabeth and taking care of a child for the rest of his life and then some.

He still remembered the first time he heard its heartbeat, still remembered the way his own heart stopped when the small sound reached his ears. Annabeth had cried, the doctor was smiling and talking about how in no time they would see if it was the heart of a girl or boy, but Jonathan and Scarecrow both merely focused on the small and steady sound resonating from the machine.

"Yeah," Jonathan answered Scarecrow aloud, "I think we did."

**XXX**

"Just a few more seconds please," the doctor smiled at the young couple in the small room; the black haired woman was pale as a sheet, and had a tight lipped smile. The dark haired male looked ready to pass out as he stared at the screen his child would soon appear on; he looked tense, his hand laced with the woman's and his blue gaze never wavering.

The old man smiled and looked back to the screen, "Okay, just a second…"

Jonathan hissed softly between his teeth while the old man took his time, **'It shouldn't take this long…'**

'_Let's just kill him and do it ourselves….'_

'**I don't know how to work that machine, and I don't think we would get away with murder-'**

"Ah there it is!" The doctor exclaimed, leaning forward; Jonathan's eyes focused and he felt his entire world stop moving at the sight of the child on the screen, it was so small.

"What is it?" Annabeth breathed, her eyes wide with disbelief, "a boy or a girl?"

"Well I would say it is a-"

**XXX**

**NANANANANANANANANANANA CLIFF HANGER.**

**Yep. Bet you all thought you saw the last of me! But you were wrong! Ha no seriously guys I want to thank you so much; you have been the best followers for not all abandoning me and I can't thank you guys enough.**

**I just had to take a break, having not liked the way the story was going and needed more ideas. And I had personal stuff (guess who is now single?) that I had to take care of. But I am back! It may be a couple weeks befor the next chapter because I am an idiot and thought I could do a story while this one was on break.**

**I've published like three and honestly I feel like falling in a hole. **

**But, I will survive!**

**Now disregard whatever chapters I have taken out, they no longer apply. And in this chapter, we had a time skip of a couple weeks somewhere in the middle end so we could get to the doctor's appointment, and we may do another time skip during the next chapters because I want to get to the baby!**

**ALSO-!**

**A very, very special and heart felt thank you to Johanna Crane because without her, this chapter never would have happened. Honestly she left a review for my last chapter and I felt really guilty because she had a point to what she was saying. If not for her, I would have deleted this story. So Johanna, thank you so much, your review was not offensive, and please keep being awesome.**

**Happy Valentine's Day,**

**Sketch1997 **


	25. Beautiful Day and Smug Proposals

**Special thanks to Person P, SaintsFan1, Lucky Girl 81, Short Monster and FangScarlet for following Beautiful Lie;**

**And a special thanks to Person P, Short Monster and Fang Scarlet for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Finally, a special thanks to Johanna Crane and Ladymoonscar for reviewing Beautiful Lie!**

**XXX**

Jonathan smiled smugly as him and Annabeth left the doctor's; the air was starting to turn warm and Annabeth was bigger than normal, noticeably but not painfully so. She glared at the side walk as they walked, hating to be wrong; and Scarecrow was no better.

Yes indeed, Jonathan and Annabeth were having a daughter.

"Stop being smug." Annabeth demanded, walking by him as she refused to look at him because she knew he had that smug damn smile on his face and she just- ugh.

"I'm not smug, merely glad that I am right." Jonathan stated, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he smiled ahead, "and I made a bet with Scarecrow, yet sadly I am afraid I lost that one."

"Ah you poor baby," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey," he grabbed her shoulder and stopped her, "let's take a walk in the park."

"Now? I still feel the jelly stuff on my belly though," she complained, letting her head fall on his shoulder as she gave a tired sigh.

"It will be fun," he insisted, pulling her along.

**XXX**

'**Now Johnny, normally I back your decisions a hundred percent but this just is-'**

'_My mind is made up.'_ Jonathan insisted, leading Annabeth to the park outside his apartment, _'you saw the way those other men look at her. Child or no, this is the only way to ensure that she doesn't run off.'_

'**A few weeks ago,' **Scarecrow grunted, **'the idea of this terrified you but now-'**

'_A few weeks ago I loved her, but I realize now how deeply I have fallen for her. I don't want to lose her, Scarecrow; or the child.'_

**XXX**

He was acting off, that much Annabeth was sure of; he kept figeting, and he had that distant look as though he were in deep conversation with Scarecrow. He had been acting funny a few days now, but she couldn't tell what was wrong.

At first, she believed it was because of the doctor's appointment but that was now over and he was still like this. Honestly, she was worried; he was acting off. And now? A walk in the park?

Finally they reached the park, his hand now laced with hers as they passed the families and the joggers and the occasional police officer. It really was a pretty day for Gotham, so unlike the cold and gloomy weather that had been constant for the last couple months; it almost looked like an enjoyable, large city to live in- or at least from where Annabeth was right now.

All of Gotham's citizens knew this wouldn't last, that the gloom and smog of Gotham would return eventually, most likely tomorrow, and then that would be it for a while. She breathed deeply, "Enjoy the weather why it lasts."

"Most certainly," Jonathan agreed, "Today is truly a perfect day."

Annabeth smiled at him then stopped dead, he looked down at her with a furrowed brow, "what?"

"You have freckles," she whispered, her hand reaching up and brushing his cheek; true enough, he had a faint, very faint, splash of freckles across his nose, "and they are absolutely adorable! How have I never noticed before?"

"Reaction to the sunlight," he muttered, looking away as he glared at children passing by while trying to avoid Annabeth, "if I'm out long periods of time in this weather my hair gets lighter too- STOP LAUGHING THIS IS NOT FUNNY."

"It's just so adorable!" she exclaimed, cupping his face as she pulled him closer, "oh, you are just so cute with freckles!" She kissed his cheek and then pressed her face into his chest, snuggling closer with a wide smile on her face, "You are my adorable little nerd."

"Just stop talking," he sighed, pulling his arms around her, "you aren't cute. You are annoying and I am going to leave you here and let someone else take you home."

"You would never," she purred, rubbing her face against his shoulder a little then pulling back, "you love me too much."

"I do, actually," he stated, letting go, "and that is why, I have decided to marry you."

**XXX**

**NANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANA BATMAN.**

**Nah but guys I can't feel half of my face cuz I went to the dentist and everything is NUMB. I hate the dentist. I really do. **

**Anyways, I have come to the conclusion that because of all my school testing and other stories, that I will be updating once every two weeks, along with my story "I Know You" for the walking dead. And the same will be for my other two stories in the Batman the Animated Series and my story in Five Nights at Freddy's.**

**They will alternate on like a block schedule, so I have time to update in an orderly fashion and can get you guys decent sized chapters and what not. **

**Question of the week: who is your favorite author and why?**

**My all-time go to for either laughs for cries is Rick Riordan, simply because he is a troll author and made my all-time favorite book series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" as well as the follow up series "Heroes of Olympus".**

**I highly suggest you guys read those books, they are funny and yet deadly like it can be "dams" and Mythomagic one second when suddenly there is Nico DiAngelo and falling into Tartarus.**

**Any who see you all in two weeks!**

**-Sketch1997**


	26. Changing a Name

**Special Thanks to Fictional History, JessalynandGarrett, and Jayce-Grayford for following Beautiful Lie; **

**And another special thanks to Boogeywoman, Fictional History, ChibiChesire, JessalynandGarrett, Jayce-Grayford, conjure, and xxyangxx2006 for favoring Beautiful Lie!**

**Finally, very special thank you to Johanna Crane, and xxyangxx2006 for leaving Reviews!**

**Johanna Crane: Rick Riordan will always hold a special place in my heart, and honestly I don't know what I would be like if his books hadn't shaped me when I was younger. And Nico? Gah my baby, he is just so adorable and angst that I feel bad and want to feed him marsh mellows and wrap him in warm blankets and make him coco and- I am getting off track. You're going through BoO? My favorite book so far in the Heroes of Olympus. And the ending- tell me when you finish it, and we can then discuss Nico. **

**Xxxyangxxx2006: Aw, thank you so much for liking my story! And concerning the language, I can give you two answers; the first is that Annabeth as the story progressed has detached herself more and more from her family, meaning she has no one to truly speak it to constantly like she did in chapter 1, so she has simply fallen out of the pattern of using it. The second reason is that honestly I forgot completely that my OC could speak the language of her roots and feel like a total idiot for it- so really and honestly, thank you so much for pointing that out to me. It's just with all these stories and that nasty little bugger called the SATs, I haven't been able to focus as much on this story.**

**XXX**

Annabeth stood behind Jonathan, running her hands through is seemingly shaggy hair.

"Johnny, sweetie, why haven't you gotten a hair cut in a while? Are you trying to grow it out?" She questioned softly, placing her chin on top of his head; he groaned slightly and took off his glasses, "No, it's just been a little hectic lately; I haven't had time."

"Mm…." She pulled back and rose from the couch; after grabbing their coffee mugs, she smiled down at him, "well if you were trying for the mad scientist look, you achieved it."

"Oh ha," he deadpanned; rising and stretching, "bedtime?"

"Bedtime," she confirmed; she set the dishes in the sink, telling herself she would do them in the morning, and taking his hand.

Annabeth sighed when her head hit the pillows, "I'm so tired…."

"Yeah," he yawned, "I have a busy day tomorrow."

"What are you doing?"

"It's a surprise…." He nuzzled his face in her hair, "You'll have to wait and see…"

"Is there any way I can convince you to tell me now?" she purred, rolling over and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Depends." He smiled, "Will you give me an answer?" Annabeth pursed her lips and looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. It had been a week since she told him "not yet"; it had been a week of tense silence in her apartment, neither wanting to address the fact that she had completely shot down his proposal to be his wife.

She wanted to say yes, she wanted to take the ring but- she had said no. At first, he looked devastated, but then before she could even try to comfort him, he had placed a mask of indifference on his face and acted like nothing was wrong. Something was though, he was hurt, and in a way, so was she; but, this was still her doing.

"You'll just have to wait," he concluded, seeing she still wouldn't give him a set answer. He flipped the switch off and settled on his back; his arms crossed behind his head and ankles crossed; he refused to hold her like he did every night.

Annabeth rolled over to where her back was to him, trying to get rid of the lump that formed in her throat, trying not to cry. This was her fault; and she knew it was, but nothing would fix this except her saying yes.

"Jonathan?" she whispered, still with her back to him.

"Yes?"

"…. Goodnight." She whispered, instead of yes. His reply was only a small grunt, and she closed her eyes in disappointment.

_**XXX DREAM XXX**_

_Annabeth sat in her family's gardens, lilies hung over head while she drank tea while watching two small, dark haired children run after one another. She had no idea who these children were, but she still smiled at them; one boy, one girl, both dressed in their Sunday finest, playing tag._

_She felt at peace, there were no wars or turf struggles; she felt happy._

"_Annabeth," she looked up to find Jonathan staring down at her, his eyes bright, his smile wide, "good morning."_

"_Johnny-"she began, but was interrupted by two small voices going, "Father!" The children ran up, ignoring their game, and latched on to Jonathan's waist; he laughed and picked up the girl, ruffling the boy's hair, "Clary, Michael, are you two behaving for your mother?"_

"_Yes, father," the girl, Clary giggled, "Say, have you any idea when Nana and Papa will be here?"_

"_Noon, I believe," he kissed the girl on the forehead and sat her down, smiling as the children went to appreciate the beauty of the garden; he sat next to Annabeth, wrapping an arm around her he gently kissed her cheek, "And how are you today, Annie?"_

"_Alright," she smiled, "you know, I know this is just a dream."_

"_I haven't the slightest what you mean," he winked, "but, tell me, how is Ronald?"_

"_Ronald?" she questioned, confused, "Bleist?"_

"_Yes," he humored, shaking his head, "don't tell me he is unwell? Surely a wife should take care of his husband?" Annabeth stared at him for a few good minutes, trying to decide if he was joking or not, "… I am not married to Ronald."_

"_Yes, you are."_

"_Well what about the kids-" she went to point at the children when she noticed a new person sitting beside them, long blonde hair pulled back with a pink bow, the woman turned to Annabeth and the latter gasped softly- it was Sherry._

"_The kids?" he laughed, "they are mine and Sherry's; Sherry and I have been married seven years now, you've been married to Ronald for at least six!"_

"_But- you were with me!" Annabeth insisted, grabbing his arm, "We are together!"_

"_Were," he corrected her with a smile, "but you denied my proposal, and it was only a matter of time before Sherry and I reconciled. You can't be that surprised, Annabeth; did you really believe that I would wait forever?"_

"_What- no!" she pulled away from him, "No this can't be real- you wouldn't leave me- you-" _

"_I am now-"Jonathan began but stopped suddenly; without warning, he gained a desperate look on his face and lunged forward, grabbing her arms he yelled, "Annabeth!"_

"_Jonathan- what-"_

"_Wake up," he commanded, shaking her slightly, "wake up now- Annabeth!"_

_**XXX DREAM OVER XXX **_

**XXX**

It was to be expected, really… but if he expected it, why was he still so hurt? Jonathan lay staring at the far wall, opposite of where Annabeth was- he didn't want to talk right now. Perhaps, he was acting like a child, but he was too hurt to care.

She denied him- he put himself out there and trusted her to say yes, expected her to say yes and yet- she said no.

Annabeth sighed in her sleep and he felt the bed shift; he was suddenly aware of her wrapping her arms around his stomach, nuzzling the space between his shoulder blade, "….Johnny…."

"Yes?" He inquired, but she said no more; it occurred to him that perhaps she truly was unconscious, and so he turned around.

She kept her eyes closed, her lips parted slightly as she explored her private land of dreams; slightly cautious, he reached out a hand and brushed some of her hair back, smiling at her lightly, "Oh Annabeth, do you even realize how much power you hold over me? It makes me weak, gives me vulnerability, and if it was anyone else…."

She whimpered and clung to his chest a little tighter, curling closer to him as if she was… afraid?

'**What's got her upset?'**

'_I am not sure; most likely a nightmare though. Should we wake her?'_

'**Nah let her suffer a bit.'**

'_SCARECROW.'_

'**She hurt you, why not hurt her back?'**

'… _We'll discuss this later; I'm waking her up.'_ He gently shook her shoulder, "Annabeth! Wake up, wake up now- Annabeth!" Her eyes flew open and focused on him; wide with terror a small whimper she latched on to him tightly, softly crying.

"Annie…" he held her, rubbing her back gently, "shh… it's just a nightmare, and you're okay…" They laid like that for a few minutes befor she looked up at him, "Jonathan- Scarecrow- Yes."

"…What?"

"I want to marry you," she whispered, her voice hoarse. She sat up and rubbed her eyes pitifully, "please- I'm sorry it took so long to answer but please- I want to marry you."

"…." Jonathan stared up at her for a few minutes, wondering what the hell brought this on, before he sighed, "Alright, so do you want the ring?"

"Yeah."

**XXX**

If there ever was doubt in Annabeth's mind about her future, it was right now. She stood behind the old wooden desk, her hand that held the official and fancy looking pen hovered over the paper; one signature she offered to make would change the very identity she built herself on.

She looked to Jonathan for reassurance, but his face held none; he wanted this to be her decision, and her decision alone. She looked to the paper once more and bit her lip, knowing she had to make a choice soon or else she would lose what little nerve that she had.

The tip barely skimmed the paper for a moment, befor Annabeth pressed the pen down with all her might, signing: Annabeth Clarisse DiCario.

"Congratulations," the perky woman behind the desk smiled at the newlyweds, "you are now officially, Mrs. Annabeth Crane. Now, here are the papers you can take to our neighboring department on the left, and they will change the silly little things like passports and drivers licenses. Have a nice day!"

An hour later, Jonathan and Annabeth exited the old building, walking down the stone steps Annabeth vaguely admired the sun set shining over Gotham, just past the tall buildings. She linked her hand with Jonathan, but neither said a word, until, "Annie, are you sure you don't want a ceremony?"

"I don't like being the center of attention, and having an extravagant wedding for me was always my mother's dream. I'm happy just signing the papers and spending the evening with you." She smiled at him and pulled herself a bit closer, "besides, why wouldn't I be happy? I am now legally your wife, which means no one can take you away."

"I'd never let anyone take you away from me," he promised softly, still staring ahead, "that would warrant Scarecrow dealing with them."

"Aw," she rested her head on his shoulder, "You don't have to worry, neither of you do, I'm not going anywhere."

**XXX**

**Alright guys, I know we haven't made a lot of progress, but just wait for next chapter! There will be a time skip to a moment I have been waiting this entire story to write…**

**Anyways, question of the week:**

**What was the last anime you watched? And if not anime, then what was the last movie you watched? Did you like it? Were there any hot guys (or girls)?**

**Last anime I watched was "My Bride is a Mermaid", and I gotta say. I like it. Especially Shark Fujishiro, because I don't know what it is with me being attracted to guys that have a non-chalet attitude but damn….**

**Anyways, I love you guys, and I will see you, in the next chapter!**

**-Sketch1997**


	27. Blessings and Ice Cream

**Special thanks to M4ddieG, and Sissel's a Cute Bad-aft for favoring Beautiful Lie.**

**Special thanks to xxxyangxxx2006, Johanna Crane, and Ladymoonscar for reviewing Beautiful Lie!**

**xxxyangxxx2006: I agree; Annabeth and Jonathan are best with a court marriage, because I think it fits both of their personalities and their preferences. And you will see her father's reaction in this chapter.**

**Johanna Crane: You don't watch anime? SHUN YOU! Nah I'm just playing. I didn't watch anime for the longest time, I thought it was for nerds- and then one day, I realized I was a nerd and took offence to my own insult.**

**Ladymoonscar: I love the anime- it is wonderful. I really like the characters, and it is a nice break from all the serious amines I have been watching lately. I love the randomly appearing falling flowers whenever Sun gets serious.**

**XXX**

"Jonathan?" Annabeth stared at the box filled with files, a few random items, and decided to just go look for him. She walked into the kitchen and stared flabbergasted, he was sitting on the counter, a bottle of scotch in his hand and a smile on his face, "Jonathan… what are you doing?"

"I have great news," he smiled holding out a hand and hopping down, "I've quit working at the University."

"…Okay, and why?"

"I was offered a position at a hospital," he wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her deeply; she sighed and leaned into his embrace, only pulling back to ask, "Which hospital?"

"Arkham." Silence dominated the kitchen and she froze, "Arkham as in the asylum?"

"Yes," his frown dipped a bit, "are you not happy?"

"No- I mean yes- I mean no- I mean-" she stuttered and smiled slightly, "I am very happy! I just didn't realize your ambitions were to work there."

"It will all work out," he promised, kissing her again, "Plenty of opportunities will open up from this, and I was offer the position of Director."

**XXX**

"Annabeth you can't keep doing things like this to me!" Christopher DiCario shouted at her from behind his desk, this seemed to becoming a common occurrence, "What possessed you to get married to the boy?!"

"I… I love him." She stated simply, watching him warily, "And I don't want to risk loosing him because I am unwilling to commit."

"Fine- you married him- it's over but-" he ran his hands through his rapidly balding hair, "you couldn't warn me? We could have made it a large public ceremony and-"

"I wanted it to be a quiet affair."

"But Carmine hasn't blessed it- I haven't blessed it- none of the other families-" He stared at her, "Annabeth we have to have some form of ceremony-"

"Fine!" She stood and pulled out her cell phone, "Let's have the heads of the other families over for brunch- I'll call Jonathan and they can bless it then!"

"It doesn't work that way-"

"Well father, I am sorry, but if you want it to blessed publicly and have 200+ guests, that just won't fly with Jonathan or me-"

"Annabeth you have to work with me here-"

_RING RING RING_

They both looked down at the elder of the two's cell phone, the number that popped up memorized a million times over, and Christopher paled.

"Don Falcone!" He greeted with fake enthusiasm, glaring at Annabeth, "What can I do for you, my old friend?- Oh- Oh is that so- I see, and you- ah, yes why wouldn't you approve he is truly a fine young lad- yes, I will be happy to carry on the message- yes, until next time." He hung up the phone and collapsed in his chair, rubbing his face tiredly and groaning, "I hate you Annabeth."

"What-" she leaned forward, "what did Falcone say?"

"It would appear," he said slowly, judging his words, "that he has had a little chat with Mr. Crane. And apparently, he approves of your relationship." Annabeth didn't answer, merely stared at the ground a dreadful sense of fear began to build in her chest.

Falcone went for Jonathan- or sent for Jonathan- and had a talk with him-

"I've got to go," she announced suddenly, standing and walking out of her father's office befor he could protest. She started to run, looking down at her phone and dialing Jonathan; he didn't pick up.

**XXX**

Arriving at the Olympian Café, she felt slight relief to see Jonathan's car parked out front; he was supposed to be at work.

"Bhuel a fuck ag fuck ag fuck swear I a ghabhann le Dia fhágáil mé féin ar feadh cúpla uair an chloig fucking agus-" Annabeth swore- not realizing she was doing so in Irish- "-téann sé agus faigheann cruinniú le Falcone swear go léir atá naofa dá dteagmháil léi-" she was unlocking the door now- "-go bastaird aois mo Jonathan beidh sé a fhreagairt dom OH thoil OH cuir in iúl dó a bheith ceart go leor diabhal-" She yanked open the door and sighed in relief when she saw Jonathan sitting on the sofa.

"Annabeth," he greeted tiredly, "how was your day?" His hair slightly ruffled, his clothes only a tad disheveled, and an unidentifiable look in his eyes; Annabeth broke down and collapsed on his, she pulled him close and let loose light, relieved sobs.

"I just found out-" she gasped softly, "and came as soon as I could- Oh Jonathan I am sorry-"

"Don't be," he cut her off gently, pressing a finger to her lips, "its okay. He just wanted to talk."

"Really?" she asked softly; she felt her breath leave her when he nodded and she laid her head on his lap. He gently stroked her hair and they sat in silence for a while, both counting their blessings. His hand stilled slightly and she looked up, "are you okay?"

"Falcone did show me a tape," he said softly, "I never realized, Annabeth, how brutal you could be in your interrogations." She didn't answer but sat up; honestly, she didn't count on him showing Jonathan anything involving her life in the business of the DiCario family.

"Jonathan-"

"It's alright," he interrupted her, closing his eyes and laying his head back, "I just somehow, somewhere along the way, forgot Annabeth who you were, and I am sorry."

"Does this change anything?" she asked quietly looking at the floor.

"No," he lifted his head and pulled her closer; kissing her forehead he allowed a smile to spread on his features, "besides, you looked good with a whip."

"He showed you that one?" she exclaimed, pulling away, "No- what else?"

"Come to the bedroom and I will tell you," he tempted, lifting her and carrying her down the hallway; she laughed and hugged him tightly, "I'll go anywhere with you."

**XXX**

**ROUGHLY FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS LATER**

**XXX**

Annabeth rolled over and sighed, shaking Jonathan's arm, "Johnny, baby get up."

"Huh?" he lifted his head, looking at the clock, "Annie it's 3 in the morning, what?"

"I'm hungry," she whined, gently pushing his shoulder, "Can you go get me ice cream from the fridge?" He sighed and looked at her pleading eyes, "please, Johnny."

"Alright," he conceded, kissing her cheek, "only because you're on bed rest."

"Thank you," she cooed, rolling back over. He sighed and a few minutes later had walked into the room with the retrieved ice cream, only to find her not in bed, "Annabeth!"

"Bathroom!" she answered, walking out and facing him; she had pulled her hair into a braid and had a pained look on her face, "oh, you got the ice cream? Cool, let's go."

"Go?" he echoed, "where?"

"To the hospital," she grunted, taking the ice cream out of his hands, "Jonathan sweetie I love you with all my heart and you need to understand I have a really high pain tolerance, but this is really starting to hurt so get a move on!"

He didn't move though, only stayed rooted to the spot with a look of terror on his face, "You're in labor?"

"Yes!"

"… We need to go." He hurried to the closet and pulled out a baby diaper bag, and grabbed Annabeth's arm, "Hurry-"

"You don't hurry me!" she hissed, "I can hurry you, but you don't hurry me!"

"I'm sorry!"

**XXX**

**OKAY THEN**

**THAT IS ALL I WILL GIVE YOU FOR NOW**

**PRECIOUS CHILDREN.**

**LISTEN UP- IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The next chapter, and then perhaps an extra little one, will be all left of this story. I plan to wrap it up next week, next Tuesday, because next week is my Spring Break (And my life will only consist of mt. dew, microwave pizzas, fanfiction, and Netflix).**

**After that, I plan on a sequel. As of right now, I have no idea how long I am going to take publishing it- I have to check my schedules, and such. But there will be a sequel; it may be serious or it could be light, it all depends on how well the feedback I get at the end of this story is. **

**Anyways, I love you all, and I will see you next week!**

**-Sketch1997**

**Annabeth's translation :**

"**Well fuck fuck fuck I swear to god I leave him alone for a few fucking hours and he goes and gets a meeting with Falcone I swear to all that is holy if that old bastard touched my Jonathan he will have to answer to me oh please oh please let him be alright damn-"**


	28. What Is Her Name?

**Special thanks to Johanna Crane for reviewing!**

**Johanna Crane: I love the word flabbergasted; I feel fancy and educated when I use it. My spring break is going to be long and kinda boring. I am going to see Fast and Furious 7 on Thursday for the pre-release in Gainesville. I'm not into the franchise, but I made a deal that I would see that with my mom if she would come to the pre0release for Avengers 2. I have to bribe my mom to come to the movies with me. And yes, All Because I love you will be updated possibly sooner than Tuesday, it all depends on how I feel, and if I have time to write more stories!**

**Okay people, work with me here.**

**XXX FLASHBACK TO A COUPLE MONTHS BEFOR ANNABETH WENT IN TO LABOR XXX**

Jonathan was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through the files and papers he had received for the new air unit he purchased for Arkham, "Why is this so much? Funds are already drawn thin- damn how are these people still working there- I have to make a note to fire them later…" He groaned and leant back, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face; he looked over and saw Annabeth laying on the couch, taking a nap.

He slowly got up and walked over quietly, placing the glasses back on and looking down at her; her stomach was rather round now- he wondered vaguely how much more the child had to grow. Leaning down, Jonathan tetivly placed a hand on Annabeth's stomach; he waited, patiently, because he knew his daughter would respond- she always did for him.

Sure enough, he felt a faint pressure press against his hand- a very, very faint kick. He smiled slightly, and pressed his forehead to her stomach, "You don't realize this yet, but I love you very much."

"I'm sure she knows," Annabeth murmured, opening her eyes and placing a hand over his, "And I am also very sure that she loves you too. I know I do."

"And I love you," he murmured, leaning upwards and kissing her gently.

**XXX OKAY LETS GET BACK TO PRESENT TIME- ANNABETH AND JONATHAN WERE HEADED TO THE HOSPITAL XXX**

"Just breath-"Jonathan whispered encouragingly, allowing Annabeth to hold his hand, "It will be okay-"

"OKAY?" She hissed, looking at him with utter hate and in total pain, "YOU THINK I'M OKAY? YOU THINK THIS WILL ALL BE OKAY? You don't know anything! You did this to me- you put me in this pain you son of a-"

"Alright Mrs. Crane, just push," the doctor said encouragingly, "deep breath, push-"

**XXX**

Jonathan looked to the doctor in anger, "Well?" Annabeth had her head lifted in a feeble attempt to look at the doctor, who was with the nurse at a small sink and their child.

"Congratulations," the doctor turned, holding a small bundle wrapped in soft pink, "you have a very beautiful, very healthy, daughter."

Jonathan very tenderly gripped the bundle handed to him; feeling the very small, very light mass that rested within the pink. He first saw a tiny nose, then the face came into view; a small, thin layer a reddish black hair with a tiny tuft in the middle of the back of her head. The child gurgled and cooed, lightly moving her limbs with an exhausted expression.

She didn't really cry, just sort of whined; and then she opened her eyes and Jonathan felt his heart stop slightly.

Her eyes were a chilling light blue, so light they looked nearly grey; they darted around, unfocused and he dared imagine excited.

"Jonathan-"Annabeth brought him back to reality, "I would like to see my daughter." Jonathan blinked and then nodded, leaning over and placing the girl in Annabeth's arms. When she saw her daughter, she sighed softly, her face softening tremendously.

"She's beautiful," Annabeth cooed softly, stroking her face, "Oh she is so beautiful." Annabeth looked up to Jonathan and smiled sweetly, "Jonathan, thank you."

"No, thank you, Annabeth," He sat on the bed and kissed her forehead, "would you like me to get your father?"

"Yes, please."

**XXX**

All in all, Christopher DiCario was pretty tolerant. He accepted many things, many people, and had lived long enough to believe that nothing, nothing, Gotham threw at him could surprise him. Annabeth had always been the exception though.

Ever since she was born, she had done little things to throw him slightly off track- from when she was four and cut half her hair off, to when she left home, to when she married the professor (or doctor now, either way, Christopher didn't much enjoy his existence) and now.

When she was in labor.

Right now.

'_This was it,'_ he thought as he glared at the overly clean hospital floor, _'this is going to be the very thing that kills me.'_

He had been in this damn waiting room for the past three hours, the faintest bit of Gotham's suns were peaking over the horizon; Annabeth- as far as he knew- was still in labor. No one would tell him anything, which was a first, and he was stuck on the side lines.

They wouldn't even tell them the gender of the child- it was all that boys fault. He was the one who corrupted Annabeth, the one that kept her away from them, the one who was the cause of her pain. It shouldn't have been like this- She wasn't supposed to be pregnant and married so young, his wife should be here, still alive, to guide Annabeth through parenthood.

"Mr. DiCario?" Christopher looked up to see Jonathan standing there; the man's eyes were tired, his hair ruffled, and glasses askew, "Would you like to meet her?"

"Her? I have a granddaughter?" But Jonathan didn't answer, only merely turned and strode towards the hallways, leaving the Don to catch up.

**XXX**

"Oh aren't you just the most adorable little thing," Christopher cooed, rocking the little girl, "oh yes you are; and you are going to lead the family one day? Oh yes, yes!"

"Annabeth?" Jonathan asked softly, weakly, staring at the older man, "Should we… I don't know, do something….?"

"Let him have this," Annabeth sighed, closing her eyes and leaning against his arm, "she will distract him for a while."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the nurse said quietly, addressing Jonathan and Annabeth, "but have you a name for your daughter?"

**XXX**

**Kay guys- the rest is up to you. I am not going to bother with a poll- I'm just asking you guys to review what you choose. The choices are:**

**Astrid**

**Isabell**

**Megan**

**Nichole**

**Ester**

**Scarlet**

**I am publishing this because Wednesday or Tuesday, depends on how many responses I get, I will release the final chapter for this story, containing the full name of their kid.**

**So, I normally don't require reviews, but I need answers now.**

**I love you all, and I will see you in a little while!**

**-Sketch1997**


	29. Daughter of a Scientist and Mobster

**Special thanks to soli1894, and The Arkham Knight for Following Beautiful Lie.**

**And a special thanks to The Arkham Knight for favoring Beautiful Lie!**

**Finally special thanks to xxyangxx2006, Jayce-Grayford, Ladymoonscar, Johanna Crane, Camelotand, fairydaisy777, and Guest for reviewing for Beautiful Lie!**

**Xxyangxx2006 : I thought someone would like Ester, I know I did; and I just love Grandparent's reaction when they meet the babies for the first time. The baby will be really, really, spoiled.**

**Jayce-Grayford : Astrid nearly one, it was a dead tie between that and Scarlet. The rest of the family, you will get a brief meeting of in here. The baby will be very integrated in the next story with the rest of the DiCario family. **

**Ladymoonscar: Yes; Scarecrow in my mind actually suggested that name.**

**Johanna Crane : don't apologize for correcting my spelling; I need the help of you guys to correct my errors.**

**XXX**

"Daddy, I need my daughter back." Christopher looked up scandalized and clutched the baby closer to his chest, "But-"

"Only for a minute," Annabeth soothed, gesturing for Jonathan to take their daughter, "we need to decide on a name."

"Uh… sir?" Jonathan had his hands tentativly held out in front of him, and Christopher gave him a glare that told him to drop dead, "May I please just- give Annabeth back the baby…?"

"Daddy."

"Fine," he growled softly, handed to Annabeth from around Jonathan the child, "but I want her back when you are done."

"Alright daddy," Annabeth rolled her eyes slightly, pulling back their daughter's blankets slightly, "And what will we name you, little one?"

"Mm…." Jonathan stared down at their daughter, vaguely aware of Christopher leaving the room to make a call, "I don't know."

"Ask Scarecrow," Annabeth purred slightly, cooing at the baby who was now awake, "See if he has any ideas; he's been quiet lately, it's very unsettling."

'_Well Scarecrow?'_

'…'

'_Scarecrow?'_

'…**Little Peach?'** Scarecrow ventured quietly, **'Can I…? Can I hold her?'**

"Annabeth," Jonathan whispered, holding out his hands, "Can I…?"

"Here," Annabeth smiled and held out the tiny bundle, her eyes shining slightly, "I suppose Scarecrow hasn't really held her, hm? You have, but he deserves to as well; as himself." Jonathan cradled the child and sat in the chair, closing his eyes and letting Scarecrow taking control.

When the blue eyes opened again, they focused on the identical pair in his arms; the baby, it almost seemed, sensed the change of person and cooed questionably at him.

"Hi," Scarecrow whispered, bouncing her slightly, "Little one… yes; yes I am Scarecrow…. Yes, yes you are just beautiful, aren't you?" The girl yawned and moved her arms around weakly, "Mwah….." Scarecrow's grin widened, "Oh yes, yes you ae."

'**She is really beautiful,' **Scarecrow whispered, leaving Jonathan in control, **'You did well.'**

"I'm glad you think so," Jonathan chuckled, standing and handing her back to Annabeth, "Because You get to change her diaper first."

'**What-'**

"What? I get to sleep; you are the one getting up at the three a.m. to change her diapers and such. I've dealt with Annabeth the last nine months, so you get to deal with the baby; you are the uncle after all."

'…**. I'm the uncle?'**

'_Well the thought of you being the godfather came up, but then we realized that if something happened to me it would technically happen to you to, so you get to be the uncle.'_

'**Thank you.'**

**XXX**

"Mam we really need her name." The nurse looked down at Annabeth with nearly an air of impatience; Annabeth and Jonathan looked once at one another before Annabeth turned to smile at the nurse, "Okay, we've decided."

"Great!" The nurse smiled, all unpleasantness gone, "And her first name?"

"Scarlet."

"Beautiful; her middle name?"

"Maria."

"And her last name will be Crane?"

"Yes." Jonathan answered for this one rocking his daughter gently; the nurse handed them the certificate, which they signed, and then left the family to their privacy.

"Jonathan, I have to ask you something-"Annabeth began but stopped when the door opened; Christopher walked in and glared at Annabeth, "The name."

"The name?" She tilted her head slightly, "who's name?"

"Scarlet's-"Christopher breath, his eyes flickering to the baby and then back to Annabeth, "Her middle name; Maria. You gave her your mother's name."

"I did," Annabeth smiled and folded her hands on her lap, "Are you really that surprised?" Christopher smiled and crossed the room; he embraced Annabeth tightly, kissing the top of her head, "My lovely daughter, you have no idea how precious you are to me."

"I'm an uncle!?" The door busted open and the new arrival bounded in the room out of breath.

"Christian!" Annabeth cried happily; her oldest brother was panting slightly, still wearing a military uniform and had a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder, "Your home!"

"Yeah," he sighed and let the duffle hit the ground, "I am off duty; and got home early because Dad sent me a text saying you were in labor."

"You are the first of my siblings to arrive," Annabeth hummed, "Therefor you are the god father."

"I am?"

"Yes," Annabeth gestured for Jonathan to hand Scarlet to him which he did, and she cooed sleepily at the new person holding her, "We planned on you being the godfather anyways, but you are first so this works out."

"Aw Annie she is beautiful," Christian rocked the child lightly, "her hair- is it red or black?"

"Somewhere in between," Annabeth yawned, closing her eyes, "If you guys want to coo over her then fine, but do it quietly; I'm tired."

**XXX**

"She's squishy," Adrian stated in a matter-of-fact tone, he held Scarlet carefully, "and pink."

"She is kind of squishy," Arthur agreed, lightly running his hands over Scarlet's peach fuzz hair, "But dad says we were too when we were born."

"Hey Chris, Shelby?" Angelica began, Evelin looking inquisitive as well, "Where do babies come from?"

The two DiCarios in question suddenly looked very uncomfortable and started sputtering a thousand different and bizarre answers, ranging from storks to cabbage patches. The rest of the room's inhabitants found this to be funny and laughed so hard that Annabeth woke up and promptly freaked out at how many people were crammed into the tiny room.

**XXX**

It had been a few days since Scarlet being born, and Jonathan drove silently down the streets of Gotham, carefully and slowly. Annabeth sat in the passenger seat, and in the back, Scarlet dozed peacefully in her car seat. The hospital finally cleared them for leave, and now they were bringing Scarlet home.

The first thing they dealt with, before they even left the hospital room, was a debate with Christopher DiCario on where they would live. He naturally wanted them all under the DiCario roof, the whole "safety in numbers" principal the backbone of his belief. But for Annabeth's sake, and Jonathan's, she had politely declined the offer.

Jonathan had one hand intertwined with Annabeth's, and his other hand gripping Scarlet's carrier; he walked into the apartment and set Scarlet down, leaning over and kissing Annabeth before heading down to the car to grab the bags.

When he arrived back in the apartment, he found Annabeth slowly rocking Scarlet and singing a lullaby he remembered her singing befor:

"Over in Killarney

Many years ago

My mother sang a song to me

In tones so sweet and low.

Just a simple little ditty,

In her good old Irish way

And l'd give the world if she could sing

That song to me this day.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."

Jonathan took her hand and guided her to the back room of the apartment; formerly the office/ miniature library, it was now in a soft pastel blue, a standard child's room with a white crib against the wall.

"This is your room," Annabeth spoke softly to Scarlet, although the babe was asleep, "for now, any ways. We will be moving soon; a little closer to Arkham, so your daddy's work isn't so far away, and a little deeper into Momma's family's territory, so I don't have to worry so much about the other families."

Scarlet stirred slightly and Annabeth handed her to Jonathan, who smiled softly down at her, "Oh Scarlet, you haven't the slightest clue, but I love you very much. You may be the best thing to ever happen to me, other then of course, your mother."

Annabeth smiled and Jonathan laid her in her crib; he walked to his and Annabeth's bedroom, leaving Scarlet's door open as well as their own, and Annabeth flipped on a baby monitor by her bed. They lay in the bed quietly before Annabeth rolled over and wrapped her arms around Jonathan, "Johnny?"

"Hm?"

"It's all going to be different now, isn't it?"

"Perhaps a bit; what do you want to be different?"

"We need a slightly bigger house, and I want a back yard, so Scarlet can play. We will need a basement, so you can practice your experiments; I need a large kitchen, so I can cook…" Annabeth trailed off and Jonathan laughed softly, closing his eyes.

"Annie," he murmured gently, "I'm not good at heart felt confessions, but I want you to know that I do love you, and I do love Scarlet, more than anything else. Everything has changed now, we have someone else we need to worry about, but in the end, we will be okay."

"I know."

They suddenly heard Scarlet's cries and Jonathan lurched upwards quickly, Annabeth scrambling behind him as he hurried to his daughter's room, fearing the worst.

He arrived in the room and looked in her crib, feeling his heart slow when he realized she had merely woken up, "Dammit Scarlet you gave me a heart attack." Jonathan had yet to hear Scarlet truly cried; she had whined, she whimpered and cooed and gurgled, but this was the first time he actually heard her cry.

"She's okay?" Annabeth sighed, leaning against Jonathan, "Oh thank god. Maybe we should keep her in our room for now…?"

"I'm going to have to take apart the crib to get it into our room."

"We put it together- you could take it apart."

"Annabeth. It is from IKEA; it's a blood miracle we could put it together at all, let alone pronounce the damn name- I mean honestly, who names a crib 'Hensvik'?"

"…You know, I think they sell bassinets in the store across the street…?"

"I'll go grab one."

**XXX**

Thirty minutes later, Scarlet lay in a frilly, blue bassinet, lying between the closet and the bathroom in Annabeth's and Jonathan's room.

"Do you think we are cut out to be parents?" Jonathan asked tiredly, staring down at the baby who gurgled up at her parents from inside the bassinet.

"Cut out to be parents?" Annabeth repeated with a humored smile, "totally. We got this; just you wait, this will be a lot of fun."

**XXX**

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**So in the end, Scarlet and Astrid tied for the name; I ended up having to seek one of my friends to help decide the final result.**

**That is a wrap; we are done with Beautiful Lie!**

**Honestly, guys, my first rough draft of the ending wasn't so…. Fluffy? Funny? In the original ending, Scarlet went missing from the hospital when the nurses to her to the nursery, and it ended with Jonathan and Annabeth realizing they lost their daughter and such- which would have led to the sequel. **

**But, although it was written out brilliantly and would have made an incredible sequel, I realized I didn't feel comfortable with it. I like not necessarily happy endings but damn, I can't do an ending that isn't at least a little satisfying.**

**That is why I give my respect to authors who can do those endings, and who can make hard calls on characters, because I just… can't.**

**Any who and what not, this is the end. THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL.**

**It will be titled: "Family Matters". And no, it will not be cutesy and fluffy- you will all hate me. Seriously it will start out good, but without spoiling the whole plot, bad stuff will happen in it that will tear your heart strings.**

**DO NOT UNFOLLOW THIS STORY!**

**Quite yet, because when I publish the sequel, I will put a notice on a chapter for this story- but it will only be a notice, I will tell you guys to go read it. Seriously, this story has no meat left, only bone. **

**I love you all, you have made me just so happy I can't even begin to explain- this is the first story that I have published that has a long, large plot that will have a sequel and I feel like a proud mom honestly. I know my story is far from the best Crane/OC because holy Jesus there are incredible ones out there- but you guys still took time to follow, faved and review.**

**For those who've been there since the beginning: you guys are amazing.**

**For those who've been there since somewhere in between: you guys are amazing.**

**For those who've caught this story at its very end or even after it's ended: you guys are amazing.**

**I feel like one of the truest quotes of all time is: "A fan is not someone who has been there since the beginning, but rather has stuck around to the very end." Even if you guys are reading this months from when the end of this story came, and you guys loved this story, you matter too.**

**Thank you for your support, thank you for your time.**

**And finally, my beautiful, beautiful readers, good bye.**

**-Sketh1997 **


	30. Family Matters

XXX

14 to 15 months

The house was large; almost a picture perfect one, with a picture perfect family living in it. The neighborhood knew as much that it consisted of a lovely young married couple, who had a lovely toddler who was silent as a mouse. The father was a doctor, the mother unemployed; ran the house hold; they lived in a two story, with a large front and back yard, wood fence, flowers decorated beautifully, and even had a golden retriever.

Of course, no one knew that the basement was where the father made a toxin that could cause your greatest fear to haunt you. No one knew the mother was instead of making cookies, she was making business deals involving the most dangerous people in Gotham. No one knew that the perfect little baby girl they had had yet to make peep, excuse the occasional babble; and the only time she did that was whenever the father's alternate and dangerous personality came out.

No, naturally, the Crane's appeared saints; blessing the neighborhood with their quick wit and polite manner. They hadn't the slightest; not yet, anyways.

**XXX**

**There is the sneak peak! Don't worry guys, and stay tuned for in an hour or two I will publish the first full chapter! If you want to read it, follow this story! **

**And if you are passing through and just coming into this story, I seriously suggest you go and read the first one, otherwise you may be a tad confused!**

**This was just to kind of get you up to speed on what was happening; Scarlet is a toddler, Annie is busy with the mob, and Jonathan/Scarecrow is still busy with toxin!**

**Ah, anyways, I will see you all later!**

**-Sketch1997**


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